"Not that long ago, a significant portion of desktop GNU/Linux enthusiasts were actively advocating GNU/Linux among Windows users. I even remember doing it myself at one point, though now I really don't care what you use on your computer as long as I don't have to use it too. I thought that sentiment was isolated to me, but lately I've seen an abrupt decline in GNU/Linux evangelism on online forums. Here are some possible reasons for this change in community thinking and behavior."
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Member since:2005-11-11
//OpenOffice is certainly growing up but 'in many ways' does not mean necessarily in 'my' way. I know lot of people tired of its relative sluggish behaviour and its results quite variable when importing Word or Excel docs. In that case, 'tired' means : back to MS Office.//
I know of a lot of legacy documents that open better in OpenOffice than they do in MS Office.
I know of a lot of Windows systems that are extremely sluggish due to all the resources of the PC being used to run viruses, rootkits, spyware and keyloggers.
Your point?
//Those people are in no way ready to land on Linux ground whatever distro you can think of. They are not encouraged to 'think' but 'use'. They are made dependant of the technology they use. //
Au contraire, here is a User Guide of a "newbie friendly" easy Linux desktop distribution written for just such users. Largely you operate the system in a way that is very similar to Windows. I have tried several new-to-Linux non-tech people on this system, and they had no trouble at all.
http://www.pclinuxonline.com/wiki/HomePage
http://www.mypclinuxos.com/downloads/root/PCLinuxOS_User_Guide.pdf
Enjoy. Its easy! You can have a new system up in a couple of hours, as easy to use as Windows, with a FULL SET of applications out-of-the-box, and thousands more ready to downlaod, all for free! No ads! No spyware! No EULAS, No CD-keys, no registration, no cost!
etc, etc, etc.
There, is that evangelistic enough for you?
Edited 2006-06-14 11:51
Member since:2006-04-10
I know of a lot of legacy documents that open better in OpenOffice than they do in MS Office.
My experience is different. Most people (and I mean 99%) I tried to bring to OpenOffice have encountered lot of problems importing Word, Excel, Powerpoint docs and tired of those problems went back to MS Office. Evangelization in those conditions is not easy believe me lol
I know of a lot of Windows systems that are extremely sluggish due to all the resources of the PC being used to run viruses, rootkits, spyware and keyloggers.
I know a lot too since that is part of my job. I mentionned its 'sluggish behaviour' whatever OS it is run on. AFAIK I'm not the only one out there to find Oo slow. I'm glad it does exist but it still has a way to go.
Your point?
My point is it is one thing to tell like the author 'OpenOffice.org is in many ways equal or superior to Microsoft Office', not giving any demonstration about the equality and superiority and it is another one to experiment on daily basis the two problems I have mentionned previously.
The people I made try Oo didn't see much of this 'equality and superiority'. That is concrete experience no fancy expression in some article.
The two links you provided look pretty good and I will certainly recommend them for beginners. However that is the work from one particular distro. Linux is a huge world, Windows and Mac users are not used to that diversity and universe of choices.
Maybe linux.org might be revamped, redesigned from the ground and could federate all linux distros and provide linux users/beginners/curious more stuff. That might help.
Things get better every day but there is still lot of hard work to do.
Member since:
2006-04-10
OpenOffice.org is in many ways equal or superior to Microsoft Office
OpenOffice is certainly growing up but 'in many ways' does not mean necessarily in 'my' way. I know lot of people tired of its relative sluggish behaviour and its results quite variable when importing Word or Excel docs. In that case, 'tired' means : back to MS Office.
High-end users have little trouble moving to GNU/Linux
AFAIK Windows and Mac don't generate much 'high-end users'. They do generate tons of users who have troubles to find their documents and know very well how to click here and there. That's about it.
Those people are in no way ready to land on Linux ground whatever distro you can think of. They are not encouraged to 'think' but 'use'. They are made dependant of the technology they use.
About the trolls he forgot to mention people answering posts of users lost in open source world with the famous : 'Read the f--king Doc' lol