On Thu, 2007-05-31 at 13:36 -0400, William Case wrote: > Hi Les, Tim and Ric; > > You have hit on a topic that has long been near and dear to my heart. > > On Thu, 2007-05-31 at 10:37 -0400, Ric Moore wrote: > > On Thu, 2007-05-31 at 16:13 +0930, Tim wrote: > > > On Wed, 2007-05-30 at 11:18 -0700, Les wrote: > > > > > Hmmm, I'm not surprised. Even when computers are in a good state, you > > > can spend far too much time setting up to do what you want, compared to > > > actually doing it. Then there's the usual sorry state of PCs in schools > > > with staff that are technically illiterate. > > > > > > I've spent many years working in school, and to be honest, I think we're > > > much better off with less computers, not more. People skills are more > > > important, and they're shocking, these days. > > > That's one of the main functions of school. I have always opposed > special education for the gifted on that basis. The most important > lesson that gifted children need is not just the development of special > skills but how to live in a world of ordinary people. I have seen too > many people who were prodigies of some kind or another in their youth > who have never developed, or bypassed, everyday living skills. > > > I wuz trying to teach my 75 year old Uncle how EASY it was to just > > intuit stuff as you go. Showing him firefox and how to google, I wanted > > him to enter the google search box and click to focus. OK, move up the > > page with the pointer... he lifts the mouse straight up off of the mouse > > pad. <sigh> > > > I have tried to teach several people to use a computer from square one. > Your anecdote is not uncommon. I have long believed that Linux has the > opportunity to start over in desktop design in a way M$ never could, > even if they wanted to. > > I would like to see really well thought out and genuinely intuitively > designed front ends for Linux that demonstrate the ingenuity and > intelligence that has gone into the backend. 5/6 of the world does not > yet use or have access to computers -- but they will. I will bet that > 95% of those do not want or need to know how a computer works for > computers to be useful in their lives. > > Linux and Linux developers have the opportunity to meet that need. > > > Some fail to teach correctly, Some never get it. I tend to take the > > blame on this one, but I didn't anticipate THAT move!! <cackles> Ric > > > Dismissing a failure to 'get it', avoids the failure to anticipate > needs. And condemning users of stupidity -- I am not accusing you of > that, but I see it all the time on Linux lists -- moves the blame onto > the victim. I don't believe that most of those who have basic > difficulties are stupid, but even if they were, shouldn't a computer be > a device that helps people with a reduced metal capacity overcome the > trials and frustrations of life not increase those difficulties. If an > Operating System and/or an application can't do that, in the universal > sense, what use is it? God Bill, I couldn't have said it better myself. The hovering mouse bit IS illustrative. Had the monitor been set flat into the desk, then mouse moves as well know it, would be appropriate. Set the monitor up at a 90 degree angle makes the mouse move forward to make the mouse cursor go up, less intuitive. You would think it would easy to compensate for, but my Uncle flat gave it. He said "If I don't get it at this point, I'll never get all of the rest." Here's a guy that would have no problem shooting anyone that tried to rob his stores in DC, who is frightened by a computer. I'd giggle, but my Mom and Step Dad are all the same. Keeps me in business just setting up TV remotes. About command line, back in the DOS days we had companies that existed soley to provide all sorts of BAT file schemes. One keystroke is better than a dozen was the thinking. Then along came Windows and the Goldrush was on. To reduce the overhead of the user in order to have more productive stuff happen was the mantra. I believe in it, myself. That is what a computer is for I always thought. I want to just do useful and productive stuff doing what I do. Ric --
