Hi all My LUG LiLiT was yesterday in Awans (Liege suburbs) for an Install Party opening the local "Fête de l'Internet". So there are now a few more human beings running Ubuntu (or Mandriva 2007 ;-). Speaking with "not-so-computer-literate-people", it really appears that "zero effort" is a key to success for these people to migrate to GNU/Linux. Of course, "Ubuntu is great" ((TM) ploum) for this purpose, especially with the new live+install desktop CD; we tell them to come to Install Parties, and to come again if they have a problem. But it is not enough, especially if we want these people to spread the word (and the CD) to their friends.
Some thoughts : * we cannot be sure they can get internet access when using or install the CD. Sometimes they just don't have internet at all (too expensive, already available at work, etc.), or it is "reserved" to their main computer (running Windows), or they have some "problematic" usb modem. * many people (especially Walloons, as you know ;-) cannot deal with a language other than their mother tongue. The fact that Ubuntu can be installed in dozens of different languages with the same CD is useless for them. We even got a complaint from someone who got the ubuntu CD and then was told that french packages were not included. * perception of what is a problem is very subjective. For example, I am very concerned that people could mess up their Windows with an install CD. But so far, we never get such complaints. The usual complaint is "it doesn't work" or "Explanations given on the internet are too complicated or did not work for me". My present feeling is : people admit computer problems when they have been warmed, but if they get lost without understandable reason, they will give up and go back to Windows. So opening a dialog box with a clear explanation could be more useful than giving (or, at least, only giving) a link to an howto page that 90% of these people won't use anyway.. * when opened under Windows, the desktop CD offers to install some free softwares for Windows. Great... but in English :-( So you guess it, this leads me to ask for customized CDs again. Maybe I am wrong and probably I/we can make bad choices, so : * I tried to find a way for a stupid newbie like me to make custom CDs. On https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCDCustomization/6.06 I found a comment about UCK : http://uck.sourceforge.net/ https://launchpad.net/uck/ who looks dead simple according to : http://uck.sourceforge.net/screenshots There was an article laudating Ubuntu in February issue of Linux magazine US, where they mention Reconstructor : http://reconstructor.aperantis.com/ What do you think of these solutions ? * if ubuntu-be goes this way, I think custom CDs should be *tested* on computer-illiterate people because burning or pressing them in great quantities : what they don't understand, what they don't find, what is missing, etc. I think it is far more important than having the CD available for some deadline. Testing should include installing on Windows and empty computers as well. Question : is such testing already made for the standard ubuntu CDs ? * people should be welcomed and informed in their language. Even if they are not connected, they should find information about ubuntu-be, LUGs, and even friendly computer stores or cyberspaces. That was my Sunday 0.02 EUR Have a nice day in Kortrijk :-) -- Snulkid ----- Liégeois, ne laissez pas défigurer votre centre-ville!! http://www.liege21e.levillage.org/ -- ubuntu-be mailing list / mailto:ubuntu-be@lists.ubuntu.com You can find list info and your subscription configuration options at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-be
