Munich's Linux migration slips to 2006

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I don't fully agree...

I use Linux and other forms of Unix (BSD) as my OSes (Linux desktop, BSD home server). I've had friends who were using Windows asking me if they could use Linux in their computers. I've told them that it would not be a walk in the park that that there would be a paradigm shift in the way they did their everyday computing. Not only that, but the underlying logics of both systems were very different, even when they converge at some points (like GUI), the driving logic is totally different, if not contrary.

Those of my friends who were up to this challenge, are what you may call Linux junkies, and unlike some other people I know, they are not evangelists of the operating system. They use it, get thier stuff done with it, just like any other computer user regardless of what they use (Mac, Windows, Linux, BeOS, BSD, whatever). The results that this has had? Pretty much the same as with me when they approached me regarding Linux in the first place, people they have contatct with have started asking them about Linux.

With Linux (as with pretty much all other software out there) the trick is to learn how to learn to use any program whenever you encounter a new program to get done what you need to get done, in the least time as possible and as efficiently as possible... The resources are out there be it on the Internet, man pages, help files, user manuals, etc, etc. That's why I suppose one of the most given answers when some one asks in Unix/Linux forums some obvious question is the (in)famous RTFM or Read The Freaking Manual. Of course this supposes that documentation for that particular program both accurate and easily understandable, and there's also a bunch of on-line resources too... The downside for this? Time. However, no matter what platform you use, when struck by their own ignorance about one aspect of the program they may be using, people often have to invest time to investigate and learn that they ignore which is preventing them from doing what they need to do. And that happens as much in Windows, MacOSX and Linux as in any other platform. So it actually doesn't matter what do people use, the trick is to learn how to learn what you need in order to be productive, in other words, to be able to find the information you need whenever you need it... Isn't that the whole point of informatics?

My 2?

Posted by: thetargos   Posted on: 09/06/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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