Fedora Core 2 - review.

[Sean Estabrooks]

On Sun, 23 May 2004 12:16:05 -0500 (CDT)
"Benjamin J. Weiss" <benjamin at Weiss.name> wrote:

> I am afraid that I must disagree here.  The average home user doesn't give 
> a flip whether a protocol is free, hell, they don't even know what a 
> protocol *is*.  The average user just wants it to work.  Hell, when it 
> comes to my car, my television, etc, I'm the same way.  I just want to 
> turn the key and go soemwhere without having to resolve a conflict 
> between the vendor who made the gas pedal and the one who made the brakes.

If you're right then we're not ready for the average home user yet Ben.

> Wow, that attitude alone could spell the end of linux.  I've seen it a 
> dozen times before.  In a capitalistic society, the 
> organization/vendor/etc who gives the consumer what he/she wants is the 
> one that prospers.  The one that tells the consumer what they can and 
> cannot do is the one that falls by the wayside.
> 
> The consumer wants mp3 because it is what allows her music to be portable, 
> and because advertising has created the demand.  If you want users to use 
> .ogg, then we have to get portable .ogg players out there and advertise to 
> the consumer why it's a better choice.  Otherwise, she will stick with 
> windows.

It will be the end of Linux if we sell out it's most important asset just to get 
grandma onboard.   We're not telling the consumer what to do.   We're 
providing a better, more free alternative, that will be more attractive to the 
consumer when it's ready.   For many reasons.    But we're hurting the process 
with all this energy waisted in the wrong direction.    I'm all for making
transition technologies in order to make migration easier.   But we've lost
focus on what's really important and are worrying WAY too much about
the transition technologies instead of the REAL things that make Linux important.

> No, your average person will only follow if they can do what they want 
> with the technology.

We are getting there.

> Case in point:  I wanted to throw Windoze out of my house and embrace 
> linux only.  I'm a computer geek and have been using RHL since 5.2.  I 
> found that it's impossible, because linux doesn't do everythign that I 
> want an OS to do.  I *still* can't get my videos off of my camcorder and 
> create DVD's for them on FC2.  I *still* can't get all of my digital pics 
> of of my various digital cameras and do everythign I want to with them on 
> FC2.  And believe me, I tried.  Yet, though I am a linux advocate, though 
> I have finally convinced my boss to trash windows on our servers at work, 
> I find that I have to retain Windows at home.  Why?  Because the apps I 
> mentioned above *just work*.  That's why.

There's nothing in this case that has anything to do with proprietary formats
is there?    But this would be an interesting area for further development.   Have 
you helped the developers of current Linux products understand the issues
that make you feel you still need M$Win?

> And if *I* am still forced to use Windoze, you can bet your bottom dollar 
> that the average person on the street is going to have to continue to use 
> it as well.

Well.   We need to get better then don't we?   But lets not sell out what is most
important just to get a head count.    People will come when we have more 
free options that work well.    Let's not forget why Linux is important in the
process.

Regards,
Sean