What about post-installfest support?

[Pavel Zaitsev]

В Птн, 06/05/2005 в 19:09 -0400, Walter Dnes пишет:
>   So a Windows user comes to our installfest, and gets some version of
> linux going.  What do they do when they run into a problem?  Can we
> offer some sort of support?  Maybe not house-calls, but perhaps a combo
> of a new-user support list and limited phone support for new-users who
> suddenly find they can't get online.  The worst PR for linux is people
> who've tried linux, and given up because of "trvial" problems *THAT THEY
> COULD NOT SOLVE*.

Whoopeee, people shall not buy MGB if they just attend soccer practice
and
go get groceries at the end of the weekend. Ubuntu helps quite a bit
with this
but there still things only a tech can do. New users that use computer
as
appliance shall not install any other distro, except the one that boots
into gui and just does everthing. *Have you ever worked for TECH
support* ? We can't cater to
some classes of people period, that what commercial companies are for.
We are
here to have fun, and exchange ideas between those who are willing to
learn, not
educate people about those who are still looking for a power button. Not
to be
condescending , but linux isn't for those people. Those people need to
get a Mac,
simple as that .. for now.

>   The reason I mention a new-user mailing list is that this one is too
> general.  And screaming  R-T-F-M  at newbies is *NOT* the way to go.
> After using linux a few years, I feel that  F T F M  (*FIND* The F,,,,,,
> Manual) is often the hardest part.  Things like...

Read The FINE Manuals, as there is astounding number of them on the net.
What is the last time you have cleaned/replace fuel filter on your car.
How
doing transmission fluid flush? Needless to say, those who come with
open
mind and brood over countless documentations and have capacity to
integrate
new knowlege, those are welcome.

>   - how do you *ADD* a user to a group without removing him from all
>     other groups.  In Gentoo linux, the answer id "gpasswd".
> 
>   - PCI modems will *NOT* work under Gentoo as ttyS0..ttyS3.  They start
>     at ttyS4.  In order for that to work, you must enable support for at
>     least 5 modem slots ("serial ports") in the kernel.

Gentoo linux is far from beginner level, it is sort of ongoing
developmental system. There are no binary packages. While freeBSD folks
enjoy low stream of incoming changes to live packages, gentoo doesn't.
Binary is the way for newbie to go. Even
though later they are most likely to switch to gentoo for their
"growing" up experience.
FreeBSD being more stable in way it is working, it does still require
more WANG
to manage it.

I think there are classes of uses, we can't really cater to housewife
kine that types a recipes on her computer and makes scheduling for
grocery runs in her outlook. Those
people usually have to buck down and learn a bit more or pay for
support.

That being said, that the list is willing to help. Skill level required
in most people though,
even to lay out a problem such way that we can understand it from other
side of the mailing list is higher then average person would fathom. But
we are here ;-)

Anyway, one proposition is for installation of sudo account for those
truly requiring 
the help. Then real helping these people would be only ssh call away. I
realized there
are quire a few problems with this , but world isn't perfect right? I
think I have solution ... I'll be back in few days with bit of
code... :D heheh. Eevil!!!

Can we access the TLUG member's computer? Shall we have the user sign
waiver, about help?

Scotty out,
Pavel

--
The Toronto Linux Users Group.      Meetings: http://tlug.ss.org
TLUG requests: Linux topics, No HTML, wrap text below 80 columns
How to UNSUBSCRIBE: http://tlug.ss.org/subscribe.shtml