"Weaver" <wea...@riseup.net> writes: > What if you have a more mature newbie that is starting his own graphics > business and is trying to keep overheads down by learning GIMP, etc. > Graphics files take up a lot of space. > Potential must be allowed for.
Then you must allow for a lot more swap space. Perhaps you want them to install and right after that change their partitioning before they have any data? Once they have any data, it would be (almost) impossible to change the partition layout if they go for what you suggest. > You cannot assume a minimum prior knowledge and then create the > communication gap that fails to achieve the aim. You seem to be assuming arbitrary amounts of knowledge, depending on whatever suits you. Have you clearly stated somewhere what kind of knowledge you expect someone to have? >>> When you need to relay some information to somebody, you need to make an >>> accurate assessment of the communication level of your audience. >>> Otherwise, you simply don't communicate. If they aren't in front of you >>> in order to do this, you assume no knowledge and operate from that >>> 'mountpoint'. >> >> Hidding too much information can be as bad as displaying all the data. > > No information is hidden here. > Only the knowledge for a successful installation is delivered in a manner > accessible to the market. You hide almost all of the information here. You don't give information sufficient for a successful installation --- unless you consider an installation that isn't suited for what it's going to be used for as successful, maybe. The information you give is more misleading than anything else. > Mailing lists, etc., are not accessible till > then. > Plenty of time for indepth knowledge then. Give them a working system before and during the installation, and mailing lists and time suddenly are available. >> In my experience, people do not tend to read much at the installation >> screen neither this is a good place where to stay for too long. > > There's no need to worry about the time factor. > The installer isn't going anywhere. The user isn't going anywhere they will want to be, either. You're sending them right to where they don't want to be. Anyway, you didn't get Cameleons point that people won't read. > Too much >> text can make the user to doubt > > The information required is no more than it needs to be to achieve > communication effectively. And you cannot know what is needed because you cannot know who is going to use the D/i. > and the installation wizard cannot be a >> replacement for a good manual such the Relase Notes and Installation >> Guide. > > I didn't read about those until well after I had done my first two > installations and by then I didn't need them. > I have actually downloaded the installation guide and have intended to > read it, but here we sit, years later, and I still haven't. That's not the fault of the D/i. It supports Cameleons point that people don't read. >>> Graphical desktop Environment = Yes >> >> (...) >> >> I will add a warning here about the time it can take to download the full >> DE so the installation process can be delayed noticeabily. > > I think it's best to give the Newbie a GUI as soon as possible. They should start by installing a minimal system and add what they need later. > In that context, it works, but to give a Newbie a GUI-less system, then > expect them to find their way to the aptitude ncurses interface and then > understand what XFCE or LXDE are is a little too much I think. No, it's not. Help them to learn the basics first. >> Come on... if they are currently browsing the web and getting e-mails in >> their inbox they should already know what a proxy is. > > Nope! > When I first installed, I wondered if the installer was referring to the ISP! They should already know what a proxy is. > Verbosity is not what is required at any time. > Efficient communication of minimal information, to achieve success in the > process is. That is neither required, nor possible. You cannot successfully install Debian with only minimal information. >> Debian people has done a marvelous work with thteir documentation and >> this step (Partitioning) is very well explained there¹ (even it has a >> separate Appendix!). >> >> ¹http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/i386/ch06s03.html.en#di-partition > > There are many other such references, but the Newbie doesn't know about them. Then tell them about them and give them a working system before and during the installation so that they can read the documentation at their leisure. You said earlier that time isn't the problem because the D/i isn't going to go anywhere. If that is so, there isn't anything against letting users use a working system they would get with the D/i for however long they want before they start the installation. Let them decide themselves when they want to install and how much and when they want to increase their knowledge. -- Debian testing amd64 -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/87r4q2hllf....@yun.yagibdah.de
