Brilliant!

Couldn't have said it better myself, leave them to their "pretend computing" whilst the rest of us get on with real work. I've been feeling this way for a while now. Computing used to be fun and interesting many moons ago before the days of paperclips and file hunting dogs took over. Personally I couldn't care less about converting another wintard... It'll just result in more "Retard Creep", the dumbing down everything around to the lowest common denominator.

I really don't find any reason to "dumb it down" for the general population.

Agreed, although compared to 15 years ago when I first started, Linux has a much, much wider acceptance and is growing at the expense of other OS's.

I have to disagree with the premise here. Your complaints about "Joe and Mary"'s complaints aren't based on dumbing Linux down but the fact that people have to get used to a new way of doing things. I also agree that Linux shouldn't be dumbed down, but does that mean even us advanced and techie users don't want things made easier on us? The fact is people who've put the effort into "dumbing down" Linux for Joe and Mary are the ones driving advances in usability for the rest of us. Just because I'm able to do something the hard way doesn't mean I want to be stuck doing it that way forever. I'd much rather use something simple and quick to do mundane things than go digging in config files. I for one want these tools that will simplify my computing experience while still having the ability to harness the extra power of the more technical and difficult aspects of a linux systems that an "average" user may not understand.

Ok guy!

Sounds like you come from outer space and missed the point that the problem is not the software or the consumer but education!

Lets say you spoke German for all your life and learned English at school.

Now you are sent to a place where everyone speaks danish.
Everything may sound in between English and German but won't be understandable enough to get you to have a real understanding of what is being said!

That what happened to Joe and Mary when they got their first computer ! That's what happened to you and happened to the guy who told you a few tricks ... but what happened in the end ?

Yep, you're right ! They had to cope with it ... and it doesn't mean they are comfortable with it. It means its better than nothing because they know how to do what they need to do.

So unless you missed something ... I'm telling you its not a matter of Linux or Windows or Mac OS ... all those are just different interface to a machine that produces light trough a keyboard and mouse interface ... the point is what are the secret combo to master that lightning machine ... You tell them the base, they do the rest ...

Like ninja learn from experience, we all learned from such and joe and mary are no exception ...

Now ... if you're dumb enough to fix their computer for free ... it sounds like Joe and Mary will never learn... and its not because Linux is too complex ... its because you either are too kind or to stupid to tell them : DO IT YOURSELF !

Is your mom still after you each time you get out of the bathroom ?

quote from the web : http://blogs.computerworld.com/micro...comment-152260