Hi Roman & folks,
Actually the whole point of the project I envisaged from Day One was
to AVOID the consequences of too many choices ( philosophically,
choices=conflicts) and to help the BASIC USER community not the even
the ADVANCED USERS - they LIKE being annoyed! :-)
In fact, it is germinating into a two part construct:
1. ABSOLUTELY New Users (first computer)
2. TRANSITIONAL Users. Those escaping The Other Thing.
But remember, it is specific to Mandrake. One must call a halt
somewhere. Even Mandrakes earlier Distros have problems with later
ones.
AND - most computer users 95% of them out there have no idea that
there is anything else other than Doze and the idea that there are
many different Versions even of it ......................
Comments below *************
On Sun, 22 Jul 2001 01:58, you manipulated electrons to produce:
> Hi John,
>
> I don't think newbies should always stick with a strict code of
> what to do and what not to do or learn. This stifles the learning
> process.
************* There is only one way to learn to read. Very limited
and non-confusing choices as first. ( Running words together comes
much later) Otherwise the learning curve and worse, the frustration
curve increases exponentially.
--------------
>Remember Microsoft? Linux gives you the freedom to learn
> about new apps., features and coding. And, if you don't like
> something, you have the option of modifying the code. Those newbies
> that venture into the unknown can learn a lot.
********** "Modifying the Code????" Users like me - the other 90%
don't want to do our own oilchanges and tuneups - we look for a
reliable mechanic - and get on with what we are good at, instead. :-)
> Ofcourse, you can stick with the basics and include additional
> notes on configuring tar balls. There are large number of
> applications that must be configured first, followed by make and
> make install.
"BASICS"?? Dear Roman, unless it works automatically thru the
Mandrake installer, the rest of us won't be getting stuck in any
"tar pits". We only want to DO things with the programs. Write great
novels, pay the bills, talk sex on the internet safely, figure out
our accounts - and most critically - make a buck out there.....
somehow.
Did you know for instance, that there is a would-be commercial
Website out there for every eight "surfers"?
--------------------
>I think this should be added to the book. Newbies
> will be encountering this more often than not. Additional notes can
> be appended by the user or posted on Mandrakeforum. Many of the
> rpms included with the Mandrake distribution were created by or for
> Mandrake. In addition, over the next several months additional rpms
> and apps will be added to the list, by way of CD distribution, or
> free download. However, I question creating a newbie list that must
> be moderated, with questions and comments censored for all users.
>
********** pregnantcisely. This whole idea is to *more adequately*
cover the narrower field of Mandrake - a big enough job in itself!
Even censorship is a much misused and misunderstood thing.
It has two sides:
1. Someone going to the trouble to categorise things - like movie
ratings.
2. Denial of access.
I really appreciate people going to a lot of trouble to categorise
things to save me a lot of time lost. For parents it is a godsend:
movie certification. EXCEPT that they warn against things like
nudity and ok things like driving an auto at 100 m.p.h. in city
streets and slaughtering people. :-(
DENIAL, on the other hand, i object to greatly. The wonder of the
internet is that you - for the most part - can find your interest and
your level of it readily. I even object to objections to pornography
- providing it is "censored" in the sense that I am not tricked into
viewing it, but it is a CATEGORY and simply available.
Everything you propose as having available IS available, Roman, what
isn't available is the sort of thing that is most necessary of all:
a K.I.S.S. *introduction* - a gentle one - to the vast majority of
people out there who really do *only* want to use programs as tools
and not for the excitement of being able to *eventually* get it to
work, somehow. :-)
But we really need both the pros like Civileme and Sridhar who
volunteer their help and the super-users like you.
Then we need me to translate it into understandable and usable form
for the utter non-geeks like me. It takes one to know one, you know.
:-)
--
Cheers,
John
Fablor now Webhosting?? What on earth for??
Info here: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
(it's only an Autoresponder) :-)
