Re: [tlug] Why the shirts? Why TLUG?

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <turnbull@example.com>]

Lyle H Saxon writes:

 > Keeping this in mind, it's not surprising that many on the list are
 > perfectly happy to have Linux remain a mysterious black magic, for
 > then they are more likely to be able to pay the rent and buy food!

Feel free to name names.  I know of no recent poster who fits that
description.

The fact of the matter is that posts to TLUG divide into two kinds:
those by regular members who are always happy to explain the magic to
any who will listen, and those by trolls who complain about the
elitism of those doing the explaining, or demand that everything be
further simplified for the benefit of those who are uninterested in
learning the technical details.

But it is the mass of non-technical users that you and Shannon propose
to attract who are perfectly happy to have their OS remain mysterious
black magic, as long as it works.

Nay, I take that back.  They *demand* that their OS be a black box and
that it work.  And they are right to do so; it's perfectly feasible,
as you and Shannon correctly insist, to create a user-friendly OS that
works.  Face it: *they are not like you*, and that is as it should be.

Such users will not be comfortable on TLUG, nor do they have any need
to be here.  As somebody (Uva?) pointed out, their needs are being
addressed first, by the commercial distros, and second (and so close
behind that they're banging cracks in Red Hat's taillights) by the
advocacy distros (like Debian).


 > 
 > Re: [snip] "..... I think it's a critical mass question. I think
 > Ubuntu Linux is *NOW* ready for the computer needs of a large number
 > of people. If such a large number of people started using Linux, I
 > think that it would be a good thing, and perhaps even disrupt
 > Microsoft's anti-freedom, anti-democracy, and anti-competition
 > policies, Microsoft's obscene profits notwithstanding. In the long run
 > I believe it doesn't matter, but I am living here in the short run,
 > and I want to do what I can to make the world a better place."
 > 
 > Thank you for saying that!  My feelings exactly!  When I brought up
 > something similar at a nomikai several years ago, I was derided with
 > the comment "You're a crusader...".  No, I'm not a crusader, I just
 > would like to support Linux and open-source computing.  And yes, I
 > have been burned many times by brand-W, so I don't like that
 > organization.
 > 
 > This brings up another aspect to reality for many on the list.  Many
 > are working as network administrators (or something similar), and they
 > are pragmatic.  Since their paychecks are tied in with brand-W, they
 > don't like to see brand-W criticized and will attack people on the
 > list who say negative things about brand-W, generally prefacing their
 > support of brand-W with something like "I'm no fan of brand-W myself,
 > but..." and then they leap to brand-W's defense and ask the person who
 > criticized them to calm down and not be radical.  I speak from
 > experience on this topic!  For example, when I mentioned the
 > overpricing issue several years ago, one member of the group commented
 > "You might as well say they are underpricing their product" and went
 > on to "explain" why the world really is flat.
 > 
 > Re: "I'll probably attend the next technical meeting, but I'm
 > increasingly averse to saying much in public. [snip] Yes, I do have a
 > number of opinions and beliefs, and many of them are strongly held.
 > There are times when it is necessary to fight for one's beliefs, but I
 > much prefer to seek the smooth and easy path."
 > 
 > And the smooth and easy path is viewed as walking quietly through the
 > valley of the dragon and being careful not to complain about it, lest
 > it breathe fire in one's direction....
 > 
 > And from another letter (from another person):
 > 
 > > The OSS community works this way. It's always a single man
 > > who fights for something, who gets the ball rolling. Others
 > > just join in to help out when they think it's a good idea.
 > > They then share the work load, help out with knowledge etc.
 > > But it all depends on the single man who drives the whole thing.
 > 
 > "I don't know about all of that. I think it simply comes down to
 > "brand" and perhaps something in the way of "brand management" or
 > perhaps worse the attempt to control external perceptions of others
 > internalized relationship of brand."
 > 
 > Groan!  Not the "perception is reality" line of thinking!  You have a
 > point, but I would say that reality is reality, functionality is
 > functionality, and when something bad is viewed as something good, and
 > something good is seen as something bad, this is not reality - it's
 > neanderthalism!  It's misunderstanding the world.  Still, marketing is
 > not to be ignored....
 > 
 > Lyle
 > 
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