Re:At least it's not a "For Dummies" book
on
Linux for Non-Geeks
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· Score: 2, Interesting
Back in the good old days, if a contraption didn't work as advertised, the problem was either bad design or bad instructions. Since the dawn of high tech, people have accepted the silly idea that if they can't make it work, they must be dummies.
At least this book acknowledges the idea that there are intelligent people out there who don't want to roll their own or even use a command line.
My own forays into Linux have been plagued with all sorts of problems. I usually bug my SO (who is a linux evangelist) and frequently there is no easy answer.
I am glad of any attempt to ferret out the most likely questions and concerns and address them as though dealing with an adult.
When a company I worked for elected to comply with the audit, they learned that proof of ownership (license) consisted of Invoices. Retail box didn't count, holographic anti-piracy certificate of ownership didn't count. Field staff purchased software put on expense account didn't count -- couldn't prove it was not actually his personal copy.
Get a good lawyer.
BTW -- we settled with a US$25,000. fine and a promise to certify each year for the next 3 years that we were still "clean."
HomeUsers running Linux will not become common until there are preloaded, configured Linux boxes available for retail purchase. Like any other well known O/S, it will come with a bundle of simple tools available (a la MSWorks) on startup. If HomeUser wants more, there will be "Retail Box" or "Simple Download/Install" versions of feature rich software available. HomeUser should be able to select "Typical Install" and not have to worry about dangerous and/or stupid defaults (A personal favorite: MSOffice install will default to autosave every 10 minutes, but without a default location. So, autosave writes to dev/null).
Granted, no O/S has the reputation or record of ease of use, though many claim it. Linux, at least, doesn't advertise itself as ready for the family den. If we want it there, it needs be loadable, maintainable, and upgradable by its owner (ssh tweaking by your grandkid doesn't count).
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Back in the good old days, if a contraption didn't work as advertised, the problem was either bad design or bad instructions. Since the dawn of high tech, people have accepted the silly idea that if they can't make it work, they must be dummies.
At least this book acknowledges the idea that there are intelligent people out there who don't want to roll their own or even use a command line.
My own forays into Linux have been plagued with all sorts of problems. I usually bug my SO (who is a linux evangelist) and frequently there is no easy answer.
I am glad of any attempt to ferret out the most likely questions and concerns and address them as though dealing with an adult.
The release says "up to $250,000".
That could be actually as little as $0.
But if someone patents the marker as a CD "optimizing tool", then DMCA can confiscate.
I must say this has to be one of the funniest pairings of nickname and headline I've seen in a while.
When a company I worked for elected to comply with the audit, they learned that proof of ownership (license) consisted of Invoices. Retail box didn't count, holographic anti-piracy certificate of ownership didn't count. Field staff purchased software put on expense account didn't count -- couldn't prove it was not actually his personal copy.
Get a good lawyer.
BTW -- we settled with a US$25,000. fine and a promise to certify each year for the next 3 years that we were still "clean."
HomeUsers running Linux will not become common until there are preloaded, configured Linux boxes available for retail purchase. Like any other well known O/S, it will come with a bundle of simple tools available (a la MSWorks) on startup. If HomeUser wants more, there will be "Retail Box" or "Simple Download/Install" versions of feature rich software available. HomeUser should be able to select "Typical Install" and not have to worry about dangerous and/or stupid defaults (A personal favorite: MSOffice install will default to autosave every 10 minutes, but without a default location. So, autosave writes to dev/null).
Granted, no O/S has the reputation or record of ease of use, though many claim it. Linux, at least, doesn't advertise itself as ready for the family den. If we want it there, it needs be loadable, maintainable, and upgradable by its owner (ssh tweaking by your grandkid doesn't count).
HomeUsers ought to be allowed to remain Users.