[mdlug-discuss] Speaking Of Teenagers........

[Peter Bart]

Warning, I'm getting on a soapbox!!

	What is it with kids?? I know I sound like my Dad <groan>. I set up my
old T30 Thinkpad for my step daughter. Opensuse 10.3. Pretty well loaded
it up, all the ipod tools, frostwire (I wouldn't do limewire because it
keeps wanting root file access), lots of cd ripping tools, all gui
stuff. Several email clients, browsers, games, etc. All the stuff I hear
her talk about or know that she likes. I explained about it's not
windows, don't bother downloading programs. It got used now and again,
very infrequently. Myspace surfing, IM, listening to music. I would find
some Windows setup program for one or more programs every time. I would
usually install the Linux equivalent unless it wasn't available or
wanted something I wasn't willing to give. After several months it was
finally used for what I intended it for; because her Dads had crashed;
to do a school assignment. It was finally taken with but returned
several days later, because they were unable to log on. I had tried to
troubleshoot over the phone but that wasn't going to work. I toggled the
caps lock key and signed on...... I kept it for several more days and
let her know it was ready. There is sat. It's a good solid machine that
works very well, but it's not MS so it gets treated like a red headed
stepchild. The menus are almost identical, I even renamed programs so
anyone would know. Put links on the desktop, etc. The other night she
was here showing Mom something on the web on Moms notebook, or trying
to. Something wouldn't work, I counted no less than eight reboots by the
sound file. God forbid I get asked, of course it may have something to
do with the fact that I get asked late at night after it's completely
fubared and I simply then put it on my pile to look at later. MS has
apparently not only conditioned a lot of people to simply reboot and try
again, and again, and again ad nauseum. Same with downloading .exe
files. The common wisdom seems to be if it doesn't look like it should;
MS; then it can't work. Of course this is the same child that has an
ipod, and must pray to the church of Cupertino. Any of the ipod
management tools don't get used, itunes must be used. I hope they
smarten/wise up because my social security depends on them <shudder>

Best Regards,
-- 
Peter Bart <peter at petertheplumber.net>
http://petertheplumber.net