Unfortunate Ubuntu media coverage

[Madison Kelly]

Maureen Thornton wrote:
> Okay, this I have heard a number of times and is why I have joined Colin 
> and Jon to try to educate the common mass.  Usually I just lurk on this 
> sight and learn as much as I can but this touches me where it hurts.
> 
> I am not a programmer nor a computer whizz  or guru, I am an Executive 
> Assistant who normally has an IT dept. taking care of problems.  This 
> said, I had Linux put on a machine and handed to me to try by a 
> programmer (those of you who know me will guess who!)  I hated and loved 
> it!  Loved it for the idea of a free system for all those who could not 
> and should not have to pay the Microsoft shit.  Hated it 'cos you had to 
> know too much about computers and realized where Microsoft had jumped 
> way ahead with their thinking.
> 
> It has taken me four years to get comfortable with Linux, most of my 
> friends and co-workers that I turned on to Linux have done exactly what 
> this lady has done...given up and (fortunately had the cash) purchased 
> Windows, taken it so someone who understands computers and had it 
> installed.   If you guys want to promote Linux to "everyman" make it 
> more user friendly for the rank that just wish to turn it on and it 
> works.  I have  had Ubunutu  Installed on my Toshiba laptop in July and 
> I am still trying to get it up to where I want and need it!
> 
> My two bits worth.
> Maureen

Hi Maureen,

   First, if I may ask, you seemed to have taken this thread's comments 
personally. I am not sure why, but if you don't mind, could you explain why?

   This was a reply to my comments, so allow me to elaborate. There are 
some people for whom computers are nothing but a tool. To those people, 
operating systems other than Linux are more appropriate. Perhaps I 
should have said that OS X would be more appropriate for her, but she 
obviously has a bias towards MS.

   The comment about her not being ready for school was because she gave 
up so easily. School is tough; it is designed to challenge you. She 
obviously was not ready to go outside her "comfort zone". Until she is, 
she should not look at school yet.

   None of this was meant as an attack in the least. Simply as my 
observations.

Madi

PS - It is worth pointing out that when you switch from something you 
are comfortable to something you are new to, there will be a learning 
curve. This is true of switching countries, languages and operating 
systems. They are not meant to be clones, after all.
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