Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

["Bill Geschwind" <geschwin AT email.unc.edu>]

I suspect that once you start having technologically unsophisticated
people buy Linux desktops for their home computers you are going to
start seeing some of the same problems that you have had for years with
the same technologically unsophisticated people putting Windows desktops
in their homes, namely they will, more by accident than on purpose, find
new ways to break the OS that you have never dreamed of before, for the
most part they will never patch or update anything, and you will have
wide open, vulnerable machines on unprotected, always on DSL and Cable
Modem lines. Hackers/Crackers will find these machines and laugh at them
and 'sploit them to their heart's content. The users will neither care
about nor understand how cutting-edge or geeky their O/S is, in fact
they probably won't understand or care about the operating system itself
at all; all they will care about is being able to surf the web, send and
receive email, chat, write a letter or two, play a bunch of games, and
do other rather inane things, and they will get very frustrated when
they run into difficulties and when that new game they bought or
downloaded won't work the way they expect it to the first time. They
will start screaming and yelling when it takes more than one or two
clicks to get anything installed or working right. Even the GUI
interface will be bewildering to them, and unless the kids are
inherently geeky, they won't care about or have the patience to learn
anything about the command line either. They will try to use these
machines in the same way that they would try to use a Microsoft box, and
will get very frustrated when they find that things are different.

Just my $0.02 worth on this subject. Take if for what you will...

- Bill


-----Original Message-----
From: internetworkers-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:internetworkers-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Alan
MacHett
Sent: Monday, April 05, 2004 10:32 PM
To: internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [internetworkers] WalMart Sun Linux


http://edition.cnn.com/2004/TECH/ptech/04/01/wal.mart.linux.ap/index.htm
l
>
> Wal-Mart offering PCs running Sun's Linux software
> Thursday, April 1, 2004 Posted: 1646 GMT (0046 HKT)
>
> SAN JOSE, California (AP) -- In an invasion of Microsoft Corp.'s home 
> turf, Sun Microsystems Inc.'s version of Linux operating system is now

> available on inexpensive personal computers sold at Wal-Mart's online 
> store.
>

Linux for the masses.  As much as I hate WalMart, if they can put Linux
into the average (which is not to say middle class) household, then
kudos to them.  The effect will be neither apparant nor immediate.  Mom
and Dad might not necessarily get the advantage or even understand
anything beyond the gui desktop, but imagine the effect 10 years from
now of innumerable households of kids messing around with a command
line.

Or should I assume the kids will be just as apathetic or uninterested?

I'd like to be optimistic on this.  The issue at hand, though, is the
accessibility.  We've been discussing refrigerators and garbage cans
that will reorder food for us, but that kind of technology is meant for
and priced at the middle and upper classes.  And I don't mean "meant
for" as in the lower class doesn't deserve it, rather "meant for" as in
the people dreaming up these technologies aren't considering whether or
not someone earning $10k, $15K, or $20k can or would ever use the
technology.  That, I believe, is the interesting facet of this
Sun-WalMart deal.  For $300, not only can a low-income family obtain a
computer, but they can get one running a "geeky" or "cutting-edge" OS
(""... as in the popular mindset).

Anyone care to be optimistic with me?

-Alan

---
Come and play at the InterNetWorkers Web site!
http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/
You are currently subscribed to InterNetWorkers mailing list
To unsubscribe visit
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/internetworkers