[gameprogrammer] Re: yawvlff(yet another windows versus linux flame fest, yawn) Re: Re: OTP: deleting porn

Bob Pendleton wrote:

>On Sat, 2004-08-28 at 14:20, Neil Griffiths wrote:
>  
>
>>Hello Bob,
>>
>>BP> Ok, this one bugs me. Why does it bother you to have more than one
>>BP> window manager? It just do not understand that?
>>
>>Because when we're talking about ease-of-use, having choice of window
>>manager does not help, it makes things even more complicated as there
>>is not necessarily a standard way of doing things.
>>    
>>
Having a choice may not help, but it certainly doesnt hurt. Newbie 
friendly distributions have one default window manager. Non-geek users 
dont even understand how windows works, my grandmother sat down at my 
linux box and managed to find a web browser and check her online email 
without any trouble. And my desktop doesnt have a "start" button. The 
computer world is so foreign to them, that they are used to being a bit 
in the dark. These are the best users, they dont winge about the 
interface, they explore and learn.

This may sound weird, but the people who cant use linux (because its not 
like windows) are the "power users". Not geeks who will recompile their 
kernel to get custom support for some obscure hardware, and not the 
non-computer literate people like my girlfriend who can point,click and 
type. Its the people who know enough to get themselves into trouble. The 
people who will go out and buy a web-cam and install it themselves.

Linux has to be easy for "power users" to use, and hardware companies 
have to provide drivers befor it will become mainstream. I am not saying 
that it has to, i am not saying that should be "linux's" major goal (i 
use quotes to take the piss out of people who talk about linux as an 
entity who has responsibilitys). I am happy enough for it to stay a 
"hobby" operating system, even though i think it far surpasses most 
comercial operating systems in the areas that really matter (the 
technicle interesting stuff). It would be nice to see it "go comercial", 
i means that coders have managed to do what they love on their term...


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