Novices vs. Experts [was: Re: tlug: PPP for Dummies :-)]

[Manuel Chakravarty <chak@example.com>]

Karl-Max Wagner <karlmax@example.com> wrote,

> > .. the alternative is to get TurboLinux and let it set it up for you.
> > It's reasonably good at doing that, esp. if your ISP does PAP.
> That is EXACTLY the problem. All the newbies nowadays get some
> shrink wrapped distribution, throw it at their computer and
> expect it to work (unfortunately usually the case). If any
> problems arise they are stunned because they never learned the
> ropes. That's why I went into considerable detail with the
> theory of operation.
> 
> The present wave seems to me to make highly complex technical
> systems accessible to the computer illiterates - it appears to
> me like trying to make books and the written culture accessible
> to illiterates - and on the long run it will work as little.
> There was a good article in the last Linux Gazette addressing
> this problem in a satirical way. 

IMHO this comparison is somewhat off (i.e., `der Vergleich
hinkt') or maybe not...what's wrong with reading books to
illiterates?  Maybe they become interested enough to learn
reading themselves?

An important point about user-interfaces for computers in
general is that they should have a mode of operation for
novices as well as for experts (ideally such that a soft
transition from novice mode to expert mode is possible).
Emacs is IMHO a rather good example for a good user
interface.  You have the menus for beginners (in XEmacs even
fancy buttons), but you can also access everything with
keystrokes, use macros, and write your own scripts, modes
etc. or completely switch of the glitter and run in an xterm
or use Emacs in batch mode.  Emacs is, I think, quite easy
to use and a hacker tool at the same time.  This is what I
hope Linux can also become.

Cheers,

Manuel
--------------------------------------------------------------
Next TLUG Meeting: 13 June Sat, Tokyo Station Yaesu gate 12:30
Featuring Stone and Turnbull on .rpm and .deb packages
Next Nomikai: 17 July, 19:30 Tengu TokyoEkiMae 03-3275-3691
After June 13, the next meeting is 8 August at Tokyo Station
--------------------------------------------------------------
Sponsor: PHT, makers of TurboLinux http://www.pht.co.jp