Quoting J C Nash <profjcnash [ at ] gmail [ dot ] com>:
Thanks Tom, for giving Marlene a hand.
I assume this was meant for the mailing list. Marlene if you're reading this don't be concerned, I'm using your help request as a jumping off point for trying to help everyone with a PC.
I too want to see non-tech folk use linux
Exactly. I want to change the topic of this message from technical support to one of Linux advocacy. My basic question is, is Linux better than Windows or Mac for non-technical users who have no free technical support? I'd hope so, but Windows and Mac are much improved since Linux first got big, so it seems. I think Windows is problematic and privacy destroying and maybe even abusive if it still seems to blame its problems on new users, but I haven't adminned or run Windows newer than XP on any of my computers. Maybe one of you can give me comments on how Windows has improved and how much competition Linux is for it or not. I also think Macs are exploitative because they cost so much money and are really not better than Linux in terms of power or reliability or speed, or having the option of having good hardware to run the OS on. When I use Linux I get a sense of peace, power, and pleasure. Peace because of its security and reliability, power because of its well- engineered UNIX implementation and distribution-provided tools, and pleasure just from using something that works so well and has a good design and works so fast, letting you have fun using a PC. But ordinary people might not care about these things. I love computers and Linux gets the most out of them for me, but what do ordinary people want? Just to have a safe, reliable, easy to use computer that runs the applications they want right? I still think Linux Mint is great advice to run on a computer if you are non technical and want to run Linux. It has the easiest to use options and is still reliable (well, at least as reliable as Ubuntu is). It was the one I was going to recommend for someone to run on a computer if they are non-technical, so when I noticed it was hard for Marlene to run it gave me something to think about. Maybe Linux Mint can't quite cut it as an end-user operating system for the non-technical and not technically supported, maybe Linux is only an option for the technical and technically supported (except for Chrome OS). I could admit defeat at this point, but I feel like the freedom you get with Linux is critical for society to have, to help keep the free world free, and that Windows, Mac and Chrome OS don't provide that. So I still want to advocate Linux, but I am stopped from doing that because I don't actually know of Linux is better than Windows as far as keeping running for a non-technical user. What I would like is stories from you fellow LUG members on how Linux has been working for non-technical people. What I would also like is to test Linux Mint as an operating system for non-technical people by helping someone have it on their computer, and then supporting him or her every step of the way and see how often help or fixing is needed, and then go and patch and correct those problems upstream until we have a better operating system for non-technical end users, and eventually make Linux the clear, absolute winner in the OS wars and help the world be free. I'm sorry if this was a rambly message, but I feel strongly about Linux advocacy and freedom and I hope this interests a few of you. Thanks, Tom To unsubscribe send a blank message to linux+unsubscribe [ at ] linux-ottawa [ dot ] org To get help send a blank message to linux+help [ at ] linux-ottawa [ dot ] org To visit the archives: https://lists.linux-ottawa.org