[gameprogrammer] Re: OTP: deleting porn

Dave Slutzkin wrote:

> Correct me if I'm wrong, but the overwhelming majority of consumers
> don't want to have to install and uninstall 5 different GUIs before they
> find the one they really like.  Give them something which just _works_
> out of the box, and they'll be happy.

No, you are right. That's why companies like Mandrake, Lindows, 
Conectiva, etc are focusing in user friendly distros. They do work out 
of the box.

> 
> 
>>2) I don't think windows GUI is functional. You're probably more used to 
>>it. That's all.
> 
> 
> This is a not insignificant point.  When you're used to something,
> you'll be able to use it well.  I'm used to both Windows and Linux, so I
> can be productive on either - which is required for what I do.
> 

Agreed. It's a problem to be moved from your "confort zone" but when one 
finds out that one can have a more robust, more secure system for a 
fraction of the price, I think it's a good push on that direction.

> 
>>In my line of work, sometimes I have to test my software against windows 
>>servers and *I* have a very hard time trying to find where the things 
>>are and I keep cursing all the time having a lot more trouble doing 
>>operations which I can perform much easier on linux, specialy on the 
>>command line.
> 
> 
> Well, given that you need to do things on Windows for work, I guess you
> need more practice in order to be properly productive...
> 
> 
>>Want an example: you have a directory with lots of files 
>>and you have to move or erase about 100 .txt's on it. What do you do?
> 
> 
> In Linux - type 'rm *.txt'.  In Windows - sort by type, select the first
> and last text file, hit shift-delete.  Neither are especially tricky.

Actually, I was very unfortunate with this example. I should have asked 
for something like "deleting all the files with "abc" in any part of the 
name" :)

> 
> When Linux is _clearly_ better and easier to use than Windows, then it
> _might_ have a chance at getting over the resistance to change.  I don't
> think that's yet, much as I might like it to be.

I think it's just a matter of a little push. Here in Brazil, the federal 
government is creating a free software initiative and free software 
products are replacing microsoft ones in many places there.
We hava a project here called "Telecentros" where fixed and mobile sets 
of PCs are been used to teach poor children and provide access to 
services like text processing, internet access for instance to those who 
can't afford in any other way and guess what? People are quite happy 
whit it and don't have any problem using any of the tools.
As I said, to the common user, it's just a matter of stay in a confort 
zone but I believe that this is changing quite fast.
I'm not even considering the political and philosophical inplications of 
using free software but I think because I think we already went too off 
topic here :)

[]s

Adilson.


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