[mdlug] Future presentations.

[Ingles, Raymond]

> From: Garry Stahl

The best advice to newbies is right here: https://www.xkcd.com/627/

I'm going to take this out of order, 'cause I prefer a different order.
For example, your '1' depends on '2'.

> Things to Not Do:

> 2)  Type anything into the CLI:  Yes, I personally know how powerful
the
> command line interface is, when you understand it.  If you understand
it
> that is.  Most computer users, especially those migrating from Windows
> don't even know what one looks like.  The user end of computing is the
> graphical user interface, like it or not.

The thing is, Linux isn't Windows or Mac. Linux is Linux, and one of the
things that *makes* Linux Linux is the command line. "Linux: For those
that want to know why it works. MacOS: For those that don't want to know
why it works. Windows: For those that don't want to know why it doesn't
work." - Anonymous

The GUI works very well for a lot of things. I use it a bunch. *But*
sometimes a few command-line words are worth a thousand screenshots.
What we should do when talking to newbies is try to cover *both* ways of
doing things, and allow *them* to choose.

> 1)  Read the Man page:  These documents are written by everyone from
> Charles Dickens, to Charles Manson.  Many assume a certain level of
> technological knowledge and are singularly unhelpful to-the beginner.

Half point. Man pages are mostly reminders for people who already have
an idea what the command does. But referring someone to the man page
*after* you've explained what the command does, with an example or two,
is perfectly justified.

> 4)  Forget that not everyone is a coder:  The question used to be is
> Linux ready for Grandma?  As long as knowledge of the CLI is required,
> no...  The computer is the tool they use, not their primary
competence.

"The idea that an arbitrary naive human should be able to properly use a
given tool without training or understanding is even more wrong for
computing than it is for other tools (e.g. automobiles, airplanes, guns,
power saws)." - Doug Gwyn

As you note, computer *administration* is more complicated than computer
*use*. Just as maintaining a tool is generally more complicated than
using it. But administration and maintenance is unavoidable. And when
you're getting the computer to do something it didn't before, sometimes
administration and maintenance is *necessary*.

Even if someone doesn't intend to maintain their car themselves,
understanding how it works (just the basics of an internal combustion
engine, I'm not even talking fuel-injection vs. carburetors; or why oil
needs to be changes sometimes) can make them a better car-user. 

> 3)  Degrade the Distribution they are using.  This is the least
helpful
> thing you can possibly do.

Well, you're right about that. 95% of the time. Once in a while a
specific distribution is best *for a specific purpose*. For general
purposes, most distributions are on par with each other.

 Sincerely,

 Ray Ingles                                              (313) 227-2317

 I remember when people said Linux would never be more than a toy. Then
 they said it was capable of some neat things, but would never be used
  in a business. Then they said it could be used for small things in a
  business, but it'd never scale to the high end. Now, it's fine in a
      server role, but will never be any good as a desktop...

http://www.compuware.com/
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