Good read, Tina.
From Tina's link:
Clearly, software designed around the needs of the first user will not be suitable for the second, and vice versa. So how can any software be called "user-friendly", if we all have different needs?
The simple answer: User-friendly is a misnomer, and one that makes a complex situation seem simple.
What does "user-friendly" really mean? Well, in the context in which it is used, "user friendly" software means "Software that can be used to a reasonable level of competence by a user with no previous experience of the software." This has the unfortunate effect of making lousy-but-familiar interfaces fall into the category of "user-friendly".
I see the point. However, though I do admit "user-friendly" is an ambiguous term, I'd argue that the OS package that is the most useful for the most people is the ideal. Each of us has different needs and desires. GNU/Linux can usually meet whatever those need/desires are. If the community of programmers and documenters makes it easier for people to get whatever it is they want then they'll adopt GNU/Linux and we'll all be happier computer users.
Something to bear in mind, however, is that "training wheels" are often available as "optional extras" for Linux software: They might not be obvious, but frequently they're available.
Take mplayer. You use it to play a video file by typing mplayer filename in a terminal. You fastforward & rewind using the arrow keys and the PageUp & PageDown keys. This is not overly "user-friendly". However, if you instead type gmplayer filename, you'll get the graphical frontend, with all its nice, friendly , familiar buttons.
Take ripping a CD to MP3 (or Ogg): Using the command-line, you need to use cdparanoia to rip the files to disc. Then you need an encoder. . . It's a hassle, even if you know exactly how to use the packages (imho). So download & install something like Grip. This is an easy-to-use graphical frontend that uses cdparanoia and encoders behind-the-scenes to make it really easy to rip CDs, and even has CDDB support to name the files automatically for you.
The same goes for ripping DVDs: The number of options to pass to transcode is a bit of a nightmare. But using dvd::rip to talk to transcode for you makes the whole thing a simple, GUI-based process which anybody can do.
So, that's my point. Users who need more "training wheels" should be funneled to the right distro(s), the right software, and the right tutorials. Ideally, when/if they no longer need the training wheels they'll be able to stick with the same distro but tweak it to their new tastes. They should not have to switch to a new distro just because they've become better users.
It's great, but it's not the point. The point is to make Linux the best OS that the community is capable of making. Not for other people: For itself. The oh-so-common threats of "Linux will never take over the desktop unless it does such-and-such" are simply irrelevant: The Linux community isn't trying to take over the desktop. They really don't care if it gets good enough to make it onto your desktop, so long as it stays good enough to remain on theirs. The highly-vocal MS-haters, pro-Linux zealots, and money-making FOSS purveyors might be loud, but they're still minorities.
That's what the Linux community wants: an OS that can be installed by whoever really wants it. So if you're considering switching to Linux, first ask yourself what you really want.
If you want an OS that doesn't chauffeur you around, but hands you the keys, puts you in the driver's seat, and expects you to know what to do: Get Linux. You'll have to devote some time to learning how to use it, but once you've done so, you'll have an OS that you can make sit up and dance.
Well, maybe I'm a pro-Linux zealot then. I want GNU/Linux and OS to beat proprietary OS's or at least equal them in market share; this is for the benefit of the whole computer-using community throughout the world as it will make more software available and usable on more computers at a lower cost (both in effort and money) -- it's more efficient to have an open-source OS with large market share.
My 2 cents.
I think Debian would be improved if it easily served up a certain number of meta-choices for beginners; I mean, I know now that I can type "install tasks=kde-desktop" at the boot prompt of the net install, but I had to search on Google to find out about this and I probably never would have known if I hadn't read about the xfce-desktop option in a post to this user forum. Choice is good, but new users need to be educated about those choices and many don't have my patience and tenacity. What's needed is a mandatory tutorial for beginners in the installer and a variety of choices between desktop usage requirements. In other words, "Do you have a processor above 200 megahertz and at least 128 GB of ram? If yes, then you can use any of these N desktop environments. If not, then we suggest you choose a slim desktop like Xfce or one of these window managers." We non-enthusiasts need hand-holding is what I'm saying.
