norman wrote: > ...My grandson, a windows user, > bought a Freecom Digital TV DVB-T USB Stick Freeview receiver, plugged > it in and off he went, no problem [SNIP]
Norman >>> I think you're pointing to something very important here. I started to make the mental shift towards Open Source/Linux when a few months ago, as an MS DOS/Windows power-user for years, I spent £200 on a SlimDevices Squeezebox and discovered that it had Open Source music server software, and didn't work as I wanted 'out of the box'. At first, being used to the 'plug & play' simplicity of Windows, I got really annoyed at having to mess about in the innards of the software to get the thing to work. My mind ran on such thoughts as 'You sure as hell wouldn't buy one of these things for your Granny!' and 'How dare they charge £200 for something that doesn't work unless you devote your every waking hour to it for a fortnight?!?' (I did get it working fine - and it is awesome!) Then I gradually began to understand that I had entered a different country. Here, configuring, tweaking, searching forum posts, reading 'How-to' docs, and asking for help were the (acceptable) price to to pay for immense flexibility, and getting - or getting closer to - a device that I could endlessly adjust to my own 'wish list'. So when I tried out Linux (because someone gave me an old computer with no operating system), I was surprised to find that the 'do-it-yourself and help-each-other' world of SlimServer was actually a small corner of a whole universe that worked like this. And this changing consciousness, started by SlimServer, allowed me (just!) to get through the frustrating awfulness of trying to get my wifi PCMCIA card working with Dapper, which I had also installed on my laptop. I tell you, I did come very near giving up on Ubuntu that fortnight. But I didn't, because I'd imperceptibly shifted into a different relationship with the technology - just like moving to live in a foreign culture, and starting to appreciate and enjoy the different attitudes it embodied. So it was no real surprise to discover a little later that Linux and the Open Source movement were not just about technology but were embodiments of a pervading philosophy (cf Richahd Stallman, Founder of GNU, 'Free software is a matter of liberty not price'). And it's this difference of culture - actually a difference of reality - that leads to the conflicts between the opposing MS and Linux forces (like the conflicts among crowds of opposing supporters at international football matches, and for rather similar reasons). No amount of rational argument, sound logic, being clearly right, will convince someone on 'the other side'. What works, rather, is experiencing something of the quality behind Ubuntu. For me, that was almost accidental; but the opportunity might be offered more systematically: an invitation to 'come and see' without being pressurised or given the hard sell; noticing that Dell offers Ubuntu as an option when you're browsing their site; seeing a cheerful and well-written article in a university paper; seeing a poster for a free lunch-time talk, which, when you go, turns out to be lively and entertaining; doing an article (and offering a free support service?) in the local free press. My feeling, from my own experience, is that the key is offering people pleasant experiences associated with Ubuntu; being friendly, respectful, and helpful; giving people options and choices, rather than making them feel they have to sign up for something (live CD and easily-reversible dual boot are examples of this). Because the problem is that you have to help them get through the change of culture when it gets hard - and it will get hard. (If you've used Linux for years, or never had to make this change yourself, it's easy to underestimate this strength of this obstacle). Sorry to have gone on so long - I guess, being a recent convert and, worse yet, a product of university during the late 60's and early 70's when we invested such hope in 'Community', I'm a bit fired up about Ubuntu and the open source idea! Best wishes -- Ian -- ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk https://wiki.kubuntu.org/UKTeam/
