Re: Suggestions: Next Meeting

["Dale W Hodge" <dwh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: local-bounce@xxxxxxxxx [mailto:local-bounce@xxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of
> James G .
> Sent: Sunday, February 10, 2002 5:27 PM
> To: local@xxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: Suggestions: Next Meeting
>
>
>
> It sounds like you didn't catch what I meant in my last email.
>
> ACLUG seems to be oriented towards people past the beginner stage.
> ACLUG people want to know what they can use GNU/Linux for instead of
> knowing how to use GNU/Linux itself.

I think you are totally out of sync with the real world here. Most of my friends
who are Windows users could care less how things work at the command line.  In
fact they really object when I suggest they open a DOS box and fix something
manually.  When they see me doing work in a bash shell, they ask if that's
what's required to run Linux, because if it is, they don't want any part of it.
I think this is typical of *most people* who have started using computers after
Win95 came out.

> But if only applications are covered (NOT GNU-command line OS stuff), we
> assume that people are already familar with the OS of thier choice.
> However, doing this leaves out people "new to GNU/Linux". "This" is the
> problem. We could continue this way, but if we do... make sure people
> understand this (not to say that this is a bad thing).

But your premise is that 'newbies' want to know all that stuff. My guess is that
'computer geeks' will care, the average user will not. So which group do you
think we should cater to?


> I personally would prefere covering "both" GNU/Linux "and" the
> applications that run on it. This is what I see the argument is 100%
> about. NO MORE complicated then that. But, I see covering "both" will not
> happen as to not ward off the experts. Right? I think you are
> mis-representing me. If I am wrong about this... please state the real
> problem using just a few sentances as to limit mis-understandings.

I don't think you are getting it. Everyone (including you) seems to think we
need to make things more appealing to new users.  Then you turn around and want
us to discuss the more technical stuff, which isn't really new user territory,
IMHO.

Maybe the answer to this is to actually *ask new users* what they want to see.
If they feel they need more of the basics, then we'll try to cover that better.
And maybe the monthly lecture isn't the best forum for those topics. A more open
ended group discussion would probably be a better way to aquaint new users to
the command utilities.

That's my $0.02 worth.

--dwh

---
Dale W Hodge - dwh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Secretary & Website Maintainer - info@xxxxxxxxx
Air Capital Linux User's Group  (ACLUG)
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