Angelo Bertolli wrote:
Michael Martinell wrote:
On Wed, September 7, 2005 1:59 pm, Olle Eriksson wrote:
I don't think people should ever have to read documents in
order to use a product. Requiring people to read the docs
suggests that the product itself isn't designed well enough
that it explains its own usage.
You claim that it allows programmers to be lazy - I challenge that it
makes
the end user lazy and also dangerous when they do not read and
understand what
they are doing before they do it. The click first and ask questions
later
approach does not actually work very well. At this company we have a
department that fits this bill completely: accounting.
The point is, the playing field isn't fair. Since a user's computer
already comes with Windows, they MUST go through an installation
process to install Debian. The idea is to make that installation
process as easy as possible to facilitate the switch--it's really less
about the philosophical viewpoint of user laziness and about the
reality of the current situation. Why do you think they make those
"restore cds" that come with computers? Of course it's because
installing Windows "for real" is very hard. They don't want to get
too many calls or to turn away customers, so they have it dumbed down
to the ultimate level: put CD in drive, turn on computer, wait.
Should Debian have a "restore cd" ?
Should it be part of the Debian project itself?
I'm not too familiar with the new installer, but couldn't there be a
question about whether or not a GUI should be installed and have the
GUI
as the default option. People who know what they are doing can
select the
non-GUI option and the rest will probably be happy with getting a GUI.
You think the current installer is hard? It's almost mindless - you
can just
keep pressing enter and everything will be fine for most newbies.
Well except you should probably check mark "Desktop Environment"
towards the end ;)
......nice little discussion. maybe some of you noticed that
debian_sarge too with the new installer went wide away from the
'linux-way' that is 'treating/educating' people: 'users' as/into
thinking entities.
just compare the installation of potato with the installation of sarge.
this difference i consider as a creeping evil of consumentism with the
ultimate game of 'making things easier'. this is of course nonsense,
because it makes people dependent on the increasingly undemocratic
decisions of the developers: it is the old question of craving for
power. a curse i think.
installing potato was education in itself. woody was easier but still
reminded me of being a thinking being. installing sarge stops the mind:
annoying; but sarge gives all the choices i want: so is still a true
linux-choice.
my two cents 'for what they are worth', as we say here in my farmer's
region.
and, yeah, some of the questions put on this list are dumb: but tell me
honestly: which of you has never been dumb/lazy him/herself before??
just tell them they are lazy and see how they react. maybe they only
need to wake up.
cheers,
steef
groningen, netherlands
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