As a preamble to this post I would like to reference from the UBUNTU site the following quotes which have been made about the evolution of the desktop systems and users. I feel that to read these 2 quotes sets the LINUX standard by which all software professionals and companies should be evaluated.
LONDON, April 21, 2008 ... "Ubuntu's polished, user focused ( my emphasis ) version of the Linux desktop has built itself a wide enough following to compel significant ISV interest and support,” said Stephen O'Grady, principal analyst at Redmonk. "By coupling a very capable desktop offering with long term support options, Ubuntu is becoming an increasingly viable option for enterprises as well as consumers."
Slick desktop: Ubuntu 8.04 LTS combines the latest GNOME applications with desktop visual effects, giving users a smoother, better-looking and more intuitive ( my emphasis ) experience.
Quoted from: http://www.ubuntu.com/news/
This blog is basically a call to the “great community of Business Users of UBUNTU LINUX” to stand up and be counted. We need to take a position on Using computer programs and not having to be super-users or gurus who must know about the “terminal” mode, what is RAR, what is Debian or Smebian etc! An appropriate analogy is as follows: We are just users who want to use an electric drill to make a hole and do not want to have numerous classes in electrical engineering to understand the inner workings of our electric drill before we can use it. I would like to say that my motivation for this blog is based on research of various forums for UBUNTU and numerous attempts to find and/or install software on this system.
This is my 1st post and I ask that we all have a bit of “religious tolerance”. We need to remember that there is, in this world, a direct parallel between a church hierarchy and the world of computers. An apt relationship can be drawn as follows: “theologians = gurus”, “priests = superusers” and “faithful = converted users ( the majority of which are Business Users )”. I have noted in many forum post responses to questions and calls for help, a tendency to be fundamentalistically motivated and NOT in the least tolerant of those who as “converted faithful” have little or no interest in becoming theologian or priests but only want to participate in the new religion. Remember, the normal structure of a church is that there are many many many faithful, few priests and much fewer theologians.
A little bit about myself:
1 - I am a 57 year old English teacher, teaching for almost 30 years, who works and lives outside the United States and needs the computer to prepare material for my students - I would be considered a typical business user of computers - minimum technical knowledge but able to product exceptional work for my professional life
2 – I have absolutely NO interest in learning to be a computer guru or even an adept superuser – remember, I am an English teacher, computer systems are not my profession!! If I am not teaching or creating material, I am not generating income to support my family! Spending time to become systems-knowledgeable is wasting my professional time - my spare time is occupied with family activities
3 – I have used MS for many years without major problems ( technical NOT financial – MS is a VERY EXPENSIVE system in the country where I live )
4 – I have throughout the years installed numerous programs without being a software/hardware expert and they worked according to my expectations. Remember: next, next, next OK.... ( typical installation responses )
5 – I first read ( more than 90% of the time ) the Help and Tutorial that always comes with the programs
6 – I have never had an installed program abort because of some dependency that the install program did not resolve during the installation
7 – I have some friends who said UBUNTU was the closest thing to Win that I could get and I should try using it – I did try and I really like it - the basic distribution system....
8 – The same friends told me about Open-Office ( this package is GREAT )
With this short biography and the philosophical position - Business users - stated above, please leave all religious ranting at the door about:
MS-users ( Bill G. is not the Devil incarnate nor is he a fool – more than 90% of installed systems have his mark – Don't throw rocks of scorn – he understands who the typical USER is!! )
Needing to get basic knowledge ( we have basic knowledge in how to use programs related to our profession )
The attitude that LINUX is not MS and “If you don't like it, you can leave!” -- Does a priest tell a potential convert that he is not wanted in the church?? I have Never seen that happen...
Disparaging remarks about non-technical abilities when converts to this "religion" ask questions ( do priests not take time to tolerantly and gently try to help the faithful understand the general precepts?? )
RTFM ( there usually is a limited amount of easily understood information -- normally mystic, cryptic incantations - “tar -kihdsfi +jhh +/usr/xyz/foo.???” - usually reserved to the priesthood -- which can be read by the converted, the people without extensive LINUX knowledge – remember possibly your Mother, lawyers, doctors, house-wives even English teachers etc!!! Please accept my apologies to those who have made effective documentation available!! )
The typical Business user's opinion of a computer and software is that they are not part of a religious experience – they are but tools to get work completed. Please refer to the "electric drill" analogy presented above.
Installation of programs, for this group, must be proactive – please ask us if we want the program in a menu item, on the work area, create a new menu entry or other option - read "Terminal" !!!
All systems which we install should have a simple-to-use de-install! Remember, we do not want to worry about something system related, we need to worry about getting our work done with the tools that we have – remember the electric drill??… Your proclaimed profession or avocation is to provide a professional service – IF you wish to…
If you do not directly support the ( for you infamous ) for us wonderful Graphic User Interface, Please be so kind as to inform us of this detail Before we start the download and installation.
If you do not support a complete de-install function that can be easily found and used through an icon or menu entry, Please be so kind as to inform us of this detail Before we start the download and installation. During Installation please! please! please! resolve dependencies as related to the software being installed!!! We do not know how to do this nor do we usually want to learn!!! Typically, we will find some information buried in a "Wiki" telling us about some type of dependencies. If you know about them, Resolve them! If you tell us that you are Not able to create an installation for All system, we will believe you, But select the top 2, 3, 4 or X systems and create a dynamic install ( I would assume that there would be an "only one time" process to be done ) that would self-determine OR if need be, ask us what the operating system is. Remember again the "electric drill" analogy! A half-done job should not be begun!!!! Why do We need to worry about any dependencies? That is the responsibility of the professional software developer. We, in our professions, are expected, ney required, to present complete works to our clients, are professional software developers to be held to any less of a standard of excellence?? Why do we need to understand what “tar -kihdsfi +jhh +/usr/xyz/foo.???” is? Is adding and removing programs such a mysterious feat for you, the professional? It is for the majority of us. Open Source does Not mean unprofessional or incomplete, please do not confuse these concepts!!! If the software package is still in testing, please alert us of the fact. If it is ready, please be sure that is works from Install to De-install. Please do not forget system clean if any is required.
Now for something exciting, there is a New(??) concept in computing to address the Business user, “Graphical User Interface”..... Why is the LINUX developer community still obsessing about "Terminal" mode? Because you will lose the mantle of mystic grace which you think you have? What Possible justification can you have for requiring that we need to understand the “terminal” mode, “sudo” etc? You are the priests and theologians not us.....
The concept of Help and Tutorial, in general known as documentation to us the Business user, are, to many a program, a remote glow on the horizon. The numerous programs that I have installed and de-installed ( only after talking to my local LINUX super-user – which cost me MONEY!! ) refer me to an Internet “Wiki”! Oh please put a HELP button in the program for we the converted faithful ( kinda like the Bible?? )!!!! And don't forget to include some type of step-by-step basic tutorial which would be easily accessible.
All users should be afforded the courtesy of respecting their professions which may not include knowing OR wanting to know about how a computer works – just as the electric drill analogy.
OK, now for a personal horror story of recent days.
SKYPE!!!! I downloaded the program using the mysterious “synaptic blah blah blah” only to discover through MANY forums that there are numerous problems ( I normally say challenges ) related to the sound card with this program and EVERYONE blames SKYPE for a myriad number of reasons!!! Get Real people!!! My sound card works perfectly ALL the time with the media player ( Totem Movie Player 2.22.1 )!! But surprise, surprise, sometimes it does not work with Firefox 3.0.1 accessing Youtube, or many other online video sites but not ALL.. I have been testing the UBUNTU system ( Hardy Heron ) with STATIC SKYPE and Firefox 3.0.1 and MPlayer-Video only to discover that the following is occurring:
Date | Activity – Results
--------------------------------------------------------
14/08 | UBUNTU auto update and SKYPE works15/08 | @ 20:30 OK
17/08 | @ 21:37 OK
18/08 | @ 23:29 doesn't work
19/08 | @ 19:40 doesn't work
20/08 | @ 07:42 doesn't work
20/08 | @ 16:50 Oh My God – WORKS
22/08 | @ 20:10 doesn't work
25/08 | @ 21:45 doesn't work
25/08 | @ 22:14 UBUNTU auto update
25/08 | @ 22:25 doesn't work
26/08 | @ 10:43 doesn't work
27/08 | @ 08:45 doesn't work
28/08 | @ 10:32 Oh My God – WORKS again
27/08 | @ 21:37 doesn't work
28/08 | @ 17:40 UBUNTU auto update
28/08 | @ 17:50 doesn't work
02/09 | @ 10:45 UBUNTU auto update and SKYPE works
03/09 | @ Oh My God - WORKS
OK, now let us stop to think about this scenario. At NO TIME did you read that I changed the status of SKYPE or Firefox or MPlayer-Video. I did NOT reload OR re-anything the programs. SKYPE as the other 2 programs is a static member of this soap-opera. It is totally beyond belief that SKYPE or the others is the culprit, when, as a technical friend told me, SKYPE and Firefox and MPlayer-Video have fixed interfaces to the operating system – read LINUX - UBUNTU. SKYPE and Firefox and MPlayer-Video do NOT dynamically change their connections to the system. The ONLY variable in this equation is the operating system, UBUNTU, which obviously changes “its” profile depending on OGK ( Only God Knows )....
Will anyone take a moment to check that maybe there might be another explanation for this problem?? UBUNTU, are you listening??
Ok, enough of the horror story. Let's describe what is needed to effectively better address the realities of the Business user in this new religion:
- Systems need to be created to properly and completely install and de-install software for we the NON-priests and theologians
- Systems should be tested more thoroughly with industry standard products ( read for the business user )
- Industry standard products definition can be determined by a simple call to the user community - UBUNTU, please note this
- System developers need to stand in the shoes of the faithful who are looking for guidance not ridicule or scorn from the priests and theologians
- Development of an industry guideline to be applied to systems targeted at the business user - UBUNTU seems to have taken the lead in this movement ( refer to opening comment from UBUNTU ) but more needs to be done to formalize it
- Development of the empathic position that the Business user normally does not have any desire to be a priest in that we make our living in our professional world NOT in the professional developer world!
Where I live, contact with the gurus and superusers has not had any discernible results so I am escalating this topic to the international forum. Thanking you in advance for reading until here,
The English Teacher
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