I was the smart guy (Valedictorian) and the jock (2 sport letterman) but never really fit in anywhere. I ran with the "clean cut honors kids" but am not in touch with a single one today. I never was invited to a party and, being a Christian, wasn't really accepted by the geek crowd either as they typically bought into a very secular brand of intellectuallism which they pitted against my own. Any friendships I had there were ones that didn't get too deep. All my good friends I made in college. I found my identity in Christ and with my youth group.
It hurts not to be accepted by those whom everyone else seems to admire. I suppose I was blessed with the ability to see behind the smiles and, in their eyes, see how much they were hurting too. The pace and happy-go-lucky act was their mask. Don't buy it. They lash out at you because they know deep down they have bought a lie and you being different from the main crowd, in whatever way, reminds them of that. Just don't let rage win out. Hang in there and find your identity and don't worry about the crowd. One or two or three good friends is worth more than the favor of the popular establishment. Good luck and God Bless.
That is exactly how I came to try linux. A co-worker simply kept talking about functionality and stability he enjoyed with Linux. I, in turn, have piqued the interest of several friends by speaking the same way. Fear of having to learn new applications (for desktop PC use) seem to be what is holding most of my friends back. But this, too, shall pass.:)
Abuse of rights by irresponsible or unthinking individuals does not make the rights themselves inappropriate. Rather, it reflects on society's (referring to individuals) understanding of its rights in addition to our institutions' understanding of how to simultaneously uphold and regulate those rights in an impartial manner. All that said, I find myself whining about "stupid people" now and then as well.
Besides, I simply couldn't resist pointing out the misuse of the word "much" (twice) in a rant about "stupid people."
---------- Ignorance is not an reliable indicator of intelligence.
The reason IBM went with Red Hat has nothing to do with quality but with support contracts. The Debian crew are all volunteers. Business customers like to have the option to call someone when something breaks (even if they never have to).
Come on people, think before you post and try not to turn everything into a war between Red Hat and everyone or Gnome and KDE.
I too am someone without a good technical background who is trying to free himself from Microsoft (albeit I am from Seattle). I am in the midst of trying to connect to the internet from my Linux partition at home. As excited as I am about all I'm learning, I really don't have time to devote to the necessary learning curve and keep up with the rest of my responsibilities too. (I must say, though, I was tremendously excited when I figured out how to configure X to run at a decent resolution earlier this week.)
I tried Red Hat and just recently installed Mandrake's flavor two days ago. I'm excited to find distributions that are ever easier to install as it gives the average computer user a viable choice in the OS run on their desktop. When I get more comfortable, I'd like Debian to grace my PC. Until that day, my only choice is to applaud groups like Mandrake and Red Hat and now Corel who seek to provide the average computer user with a better option.
------- "We walk by faith and not by sight because there are places to go that cannot be seen and the scope of our vision exceeds the length of our strides." -Rich Mullins
I'm new to Linux and a friend I work with is a loyal user of Debian. I asked his advice after reading tons of stuff like this discussion thread and becoming sold on Debian. After much thought, he actually suggested starting with RedHat to get my feet wet because it can be easier for newbies. If Red Hat can ease the transition from Windows to Linux for non-hackers, then kukos to them and their distribution.
Slashdot Mirror
I was the smart guy (Valedictorian) and the jock (2 sport letterman) but never really fit in anywhere. I ran with the "clean cut honors kids" but am not in touch with a single one today. I never was invited to a party and, being a Christian, wasn't really accepted by the geek crowd either as they typically bought into a very secular brand of intellectuallism which they pitted against my own. Any friendships I had there were ones that didn't get too deep. All my good friends I made in college. I found my identity in Christ and with my youth group.
It hurts not to be accepted by those whom everyone else seems to admire. I suppose I was blessed with the ability to see behind the smiles and, in their eyes, see how much they were hurting too. The pace and happy-go-lucky act was their mask. Don't buy it. They lash out at you because they know deep down they have bought a lie and you being different from the main crowd, in whatever way, reminds them of that. Just don't let rage win out. Hang in there and find your identity and don't worry about the crowd. One or two or three good friends is worth more than the favor of the popular establishment. Good luck and God Bless.
Andrew
Truly awe inspiring. I must try it!
That is exactly how I came to try linux. A co-worker simply kept talking about functionality and stability he enjoyed with Linux. I, in turn, have piqued the interest of several friends by speaking the same way. Fear of having to learn new applications (for desktop PC use) seem to be what is holding most of my friends back. But this, too, shall pass. :)
Andrew
Abuse of rights by irresponsible or unthinking individuals does not make the rights themselves inappropriate. Rather, it reflects on society's (referring to individuals) understanding of its rights in addition to our institutions' understanding of how to simultaneously uphold and regulate those rights in an impartial manner. All that said, I find myself whining about "stupid people" now and then as well.
Besides, I simply couldn't resist pointing out the misuse of the word "much" (twice) in a rant about "stupid people."
----------
Ignorance is not an reliable indicator of intelligence.
Ain't that the truth...
And then I have to hide from mirrors from sheer shame for at least an hour.
The reason IBM went with Red Hat has nothing to do with quality but with support contracts. The Debian crew are all volunteers. Business customers like to have the option to call someone when something breaks (even if they never have to).
Come on people, think before you post and try not to turn everything into a war between Red Hat and everyone or Gnome and KDE.
Andrew
I too am someone without a good technical background who is trying to free himself from Microsoft (albeit I am from Seattle). I am in the midst of trying to connect to the internet from my Linux partition at home. As excited as I am about all I'm learning, I really don't have time to devote to the necessary learning curve and keep up with the rest of my responsibilities too. (I must say, though, I was tremendously excited when I figured out how to configure X to run at a decent resolution earlier this week.)
I tried Red Hat and just recently installed Mandrake's flavor two days ago. I'm excited to find distributions that are ever easier to install as it gives the average computer user a viable choice in the OS run on their desktop. When I get more comfortable, I'd like Debian to grace my PC. Until that day, my only choice is to applaud groups like Mandrake and Red Hat and now Corel who seek to provide the average computer user with a better option.
-------
"We walk by faith and not by sight because there are places to go that cannot be seen and the scope of our vision exceeds the length of our strides." -Rich Mullins
I'm new to Linux and a friend I work with is a loyal user of Debian. I asked his advice after reading tons of stuff like this discussion thread and becoming sold on Debian. After much thought, he actually suggested starting with RedHat to get my feet wet because it can be easier for newbies. If Red Hat can ease the transition from Windows to Linux for non-hackers, then kukos to them and their distribution.