EntropySink

Technical & Scientific => Software => Topic started by: micah on January 26, 2009, 01:50:32 PM

Title: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: micah on January 26, 2009, 01:50:32 PM
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/01/15/ubuntu_cant_access_net/

 :rofl: :lol: :rofl2:
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Steve on January 26, 2009, 01:52:42 PM
LAME
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: KnuckleBuckett on January 26, 2009, 03:10:17 PM
I don't get it.  Couldn't she use Open Office or something similar?  Or are schools these days that strict?
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: webwhy on January 26, 2009, 03:11:58 PM
INMHO; ubuntu and dell have done the country a favor.  once less idiot with "free cash" for tution...potentially one less idiot with a phony degree...

Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Dumah on January 26, 2009, 03:42:23 PM
If she was dumb enough to blame her failure on her PC, then she doesnt deserve a degree. Or a pc for that matter!
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Perspective on January 26, 2009, 03:54:36 PM
I kinda feel bad for her actually. She didn't (doesn't?) know what ubuntu was and couldn't even get online to google it (assuming she knows how to do that). Of course blaming her failure in school and dropping out of two semesters is just ridiculous.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Dumah on January 26, 2009, 04:15:21 PM
I managed to get a degree without a pc at home. In those days we just went to the "computer lab"
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: webwhy on January 26, 2009, 05:17:18 PM
Quote
In those days we just went to the "computer lab"

exactly...i'm pretty sure they still have computers available for students.  she has zero problem solving skills...on the other hand, i guess college is a lot easier if you can do your bs online course in front of american idol, eating taco bell...
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: ober on January 26, 2009, 09:48:42 PM
I love how the author basically called her a dumbass at the end
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: charlie on January 27, 2009, 02:08:21 AM
It's funny because she's a technical idiot, but really there's not a whole lot she can do after that.

It was an online school, so it might be hard to go to a computer lab for your entire school. She paid $1100 for her computer and it's too late to return it, so it's not like she can just get a new one. She trusted the folks at Dell that it was a better choice. How is she supposed to know they are idiots?

A couple friends of mine, one a lawyer and the other with a masters from Cal-Berkeley, are pretty technically savvy. They recently had a friend of theirs help with a computer, and he suggested Linux for them, then installed it and set it up. They're not idiots, but it really wasn't right for them. There were issues converting files between Open Office and her Word at her work, they had trouble getting their peripherals working, and there were a few other minor issues. My point is that Linux isn't for everyone, and it doesn't make sense to encourage someone to switch unless you prepare them for the likely issues they'll face.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Dumah on January 27, 2009, 03:15:29 PM
It's funny because she's a technical idiot, but really there's not a whole lot she can do after that.

It was an online school, so it might be hard to go to a computer lab for your entire school. She paid $1100 for her computer and it's too late to return it, so it's not like she can just get a new one. She trusted the folks at Dell that it was a better choice. How is she supposed to know they are idiots?

A couple friends of mine, one a lawyer and the other with a masters from Cal-Berkeley, are pretty technically savvy. They recently had a friend of theirs help with a computer, and he suggested Linux for them, then installed it and set it up. They're not idiots, but it really wasn't right for them. There were issues converting files between Open Office and her Word at her work, they had trouble getting their peripherals working, and there were a few other minor issues. My point is that Linux isn't for everyone, and it doesn't make sense to encourage someone to switch unless you prepare them for the likely issues they'll face.

Dont defend this idiot. Worst case she buys a copy of Windows and pays some guy like RoD a couple of bucks to install it. She didnt do that or anything, she sat on her arse and blamed the computer.

Frankly, it's probably a good thing. If she couldnt get around a simple problem like this she shouldnt have a degree, she's obviously too dumb or too lazy.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: charlie on January 27, 2009, 03:52:51 PM
Well of course I'm not defending her by saying that there wasn't anything she could do. There's plenty she could do to help herself. The story itself is funny because she's an idiot.

That doesn't mean Dell was right for pushing Linux nor does it mean that she didn't get jipped. There wasn't anything that she did that you can say was clearly wrong and caused the original problem.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: ober on January 27, 2009, 04:11:24 PM
You're still defending her.  She didn't know enough in the first place and didn't do anything but complain when she realized things weren't working out.

End of story.  The woman is a drain on society.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Dumah on January 27, 2009, 04:14:16 PM
She's a waste of skin...a drain on the planet...a total bastard!

:)
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: KnuckleBuckett on January 27, 2009, 04:46:47 PM
You're still defending her.  She didn't know enough in the first place and didn't do anything but complain when she realized things weren't working out.

End of story.  The woman is a drain on society.

 :thumbsup:
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: charlie on January 28, 2009, 07:17:39 AM
You're still defending her.  She didn't know enough in the first place and didn't do anything but complain when she realized things weren't working out.

End of story.  The woman is a drain on society.

Fine, then I'm defending her. This situation is not entirely her fault regardless of whether she is a drain on society. :dblthumb2:
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Steve on January 28, 2009, 07:25:14 AM
How is it not entirely her fault? She's an idiot.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: hans on January 28, 2009, 09:56:37 AM
What they don't tell you is that she was going to be a computer programmer.

Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: ober on January 28, 2009, 09:59:32 AM
Fine, then I'm defending her. This situation is not entirely her fault regardless of whether she is a drain on society. :dblthumb2:
Really?  Really?  How is it not entirely her fault?  She chose an operating system without being full informed of her decision.  In the real world, that means you are AT FAULT.

I try to be tolerant, but to screw up like this and then have it make national news means you're just being a giant pain in the ass.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: charlie on January 28, 2009, 10:28:59 AM
You don't think the Dell person advising her on whether to return the system should have done a better job of assessing her computer skills before making the recommendation?

Please explain to me how she was supposed to know that the advice she was being given was wrong.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: ober on January 28, 2009, 10:38:29 AM
All I'm saying is that people take other people's advice too blindly.  Do your fucking research.  Know what you're getting into.  If I walked into a Ford dealership and I said: "Give me a truck that I can trust and one that has good gas mileage" and they handed me the keys to an F350 and told me it had "decent gas mileage", is it my fault or theirs when I drive that truck home and get pissed off that it only gets 10mpg vs. what I assume to be decent like at least 20-25mpg? 

That would be my fault for not getting all the details and not understanding the full extent of what I'm purchasing.  You're going off the premise that people should be spoonfed everything about everything that they buy and I think that's a giant load of shit.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: hans on January 28, 2009, 10:45:20 AM
Ober, what society are you in? This is America! It's always somebody else's fault.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Perspective on January 28, 2009, 10:48:36 AM
>Do your fucking research.  Know what you're getting into.

Don't you need the internet for that? :p
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Steve on January 28, 2009, 10:52:26 AM
Bwahahah @ perspective

I'm with obes man. You have to go out of your way to buy a dell with ubuntu or to install it. Don't make a decision you don't understand.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: KnuckleBuckett on January 28, 2009, 11:55:55 AM
Bwahahah @ perspective

I'm with obes man. You have to go out of your way to buy a dell with ubuntu or to install it. Don't make a decision you don't understand.

It totally goes without saying that I am with Ober in this one.  100%  Good analogy too.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Rob on January 28, 2009, 12:29:01 PM
You have to go out of your way to buy a dell with ubuntu or to install it. Don't make a decision you don't understand.

http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/laptop-inspiron-9?c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en&s=dhs

Erm, no. You just click the "add to basket" button. :dunno:
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Rob on January 28, 2009, 12:31:37 PM
The problem you guys have is that you can only see this from the "geek" angle. Most normal people don't even know (or care) that a PC has an operating system, much less that you can have different ones. They just want to buy a PC, switch it on, and surf. Stupid, aren't they :rolleyes:
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: KnuckleBuckett on January 28, 2009, 12:57:40 PM
I disagree.  I see this with lots of things.  Automobiles, OTC drugs, televisions, large ticket financing, the list goes on and on.  People are blatantly lazy, complacent, stupid and or bury their head(s) in the sand when making informed decisions.  It is everywhere.  What is worse is unlike 20 years (and more) ago, the information NOT to make such foolish decisions is easily available. 

Worse Western society increasingly insulates these fools from the repercussions of their actions.  This is done by taxing (in many ways) those who have shown discretion and or good judgement in their spending and decision making habits in order to alleviate their situations.

The worst part of this ever escalating mess, it that even those that take the time to make informed and wise decisions can run into a bit of bad luck.  They are rarely in a situation to receive the aid that they have been forced to give the fools because society has set these systems up to avoid taking care of those that pay for them.

Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Steve on January 28, 2009, 01:57:13 PM
My 10 year old cousin knows what linux/ubuntu is and showed her mom how to use bittorrent.

Mac vs windows is well established.

And so on. If people are so clueless that they can't see that operating system: ubuntu should raise a flag then they are fucking retarded
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Rob on January 28, 2009, 02:29:53 PM
Come off it. Most laptop (and car) buyers base their purchasing decisions on what colour it is, and whether it looks good. They expect to buy a tool that works as it is. I'm not saying that's right, I'm saying that's how it is. You're so close to computers that you see them as an end in themselves, instead of a means to an end. Look at the hardware forum with it's long boring posts on whether to buy this motherboard or that motherboard. I could do 90% of what I need to do on a 486 running Windows 95, as could the vast majority of users.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Steve on January 28, 2009, 03:20:31 PM
We arent saying you are wrong rob, we are saying despite your point she is still an idiot for following a salesperson blindly into a purchase.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Rob on January 28, 2009, 03:30:31 PM
I guess :dunno:
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: ober on January 28, 2009, 03:38:32 PM
My bigger problem is that when Dell ships a computer... EVERYTHING IS SETUP AND WORKING.  So it makes it even harder to believe that there was an actual problem that caused her to be unable to connect to the internet and have basic use of the system.

Word problems aside, general usage should have been a non-issue.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: webwhy on January 28, 2009, 03:45:24 PM
Not to mention she's attending a "technical school".  One would expect an aptitude for technology, or at least a desire to find a solution to a technical problem...instead she blames the computer (or even Dell) and drops out of school...

sorry, i agree "that's how it is", but that doesn't mean I have to understand, pity or except it
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Steve on January 28, 2009, 03:49:48 PM
My bigger problem is that when Dell ships a computer... EVERYTHING IS SETUP AND WORKING.  So it makes it even harder to believe that there was an actual problem that caused her to be unable to connect to the internet and have basic use of the system.

Word problems aside, general usage should have been a non-issue.

I QUOTED SOMEONE!! man i havent got to do that in forever.....

anyway, i get your point and i agree. But dell has a tendency to ship windows based pc's with out of the box issues so i imagine it wouldnt be hard at all for a unbuntu shipped pc to have an issue.

i still think shes an idiot. And dell is the number one supplier of computers to morons, you would think before you could finalize your order there would be flashing warning lights saying hey, this aint windows dipshit.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Rob on January 28, 2009, 04:31:37 PM
>>you would think before you could finalize your order there would be flashing warning lights saying hey, this aint windows dipshit.

See, now that's sensible. But she was even told by a Dell rep that she should stick with Ubuntu - that's gotta be bad advice.

>>EVERYTHING IS SETUP AND WORKING.

Except she couldn't access her Verizon account, and lacked the knowledge to set it up without the verizon CD that wouldn't run on Ubuntu. I know how to do it, and I know all you guys would, but why would a non-geek user? She could look it up on the internet, except...
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: A Bit of Fruit on January 28, 2009, 04:38:57 PM
I think the problem is the fact that people think of computers in a similar way they do cars - that they can use fine them but have no idea whats going on inside and that they need to hire others to maintain them. They have been pampered by people like Dell setting everything up for them so they will ALWAYS rely on somebody else for advice or help with computers because they never have to do it themselves, so suddenly when something is wrong its that person's fault.

So I think its her fault for being complacent and simply trusting the 'computer guy' but who can blame her in a world where this has become the social norm. In short, society is at fault for perpetuating the idea that computers are enigmatic in how they work and that only geeks can fix them.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: KnuckleBuckett on January 28, 2009, 04:42:25 PM

So I think its her fault for being complacent and simply trusting the 'computer guy' but who can blame her in a world where this has become the social norm. In short, society is at fault for perpetuating the idea that computers are enigmatic in how they work and that only geeks can fix them.

I don't.  I do just the opposite.  Just sayin'.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: A Bit of Fruit on January 28, 2009, 04:45:40 PM
So do I but its been this way since I can remember - my stepmum is too scared to try and figure out how to install adobe acrobat so she calls me over to do it for her.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Steve on January 28, 2009, 05:07:49 PM
>>you would think before you could finalize your order there would be flashing warning lights saying hey, this aint windows dipshit.

See, now that's sensible. But she was even told by a Dell rep that she should stick with Ubuntu - that's gotta be bad advice.

>>EVERYTHING IS SETUP AND WORKING.

Except she couldn't access her Verizon account, and lacked the knowledge to set it up without the verizon CD that wouldn't run on Ubuntu. I know how to do it, and I know all you guys would, but why would a non-geek user? She could look it up on the internet, except...

i wouldnt have known. im still newish to linux and i would have needed some help from you guys or google on the blackberry to install it without the cd. google saves my ass constantly with ubuntu.

As for the rep, thats a 50/50. she probably talked herslef up being all excited about chool, and im sure she brought up ubuntu. knowing ubuntu is a more suited os for what shes doing, and the attitude im almost positive she probably put forth, it would be my opinion that he was correct in his advice to go with ubuntu.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Rob on January 28, 2009, 05:16:00 PM
>>ubuntu is a more suited os for what shes doing,

>>it would be my opinion that he was correct in his advice to go with ubuntu.

Why?

edit>> I need more than "Micro$oft suxorz and bill gates is teh devil incarnate!!1111oneoneone"
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Rob on January 28, 2009, 05:19:02 PM

So I think its her fault for being complacent and simply trusting the 'computer guy' but who can blame her in a world where this has become the social norm. In short, society is at fault for perpetuating the idea that computers are enigmatic in how they work and that only geeks can fix them.

I don't.  I do just the opposite.  Just sayin'.


... and some people can play pro football, and some can fly a space shuttle to the moon. We can't all be good at everything is my point. Sure, we can do our best to get our knowledge up, but I don't need to know how to fix the engine on my car in order to be able to drive it. Some people see PCs in the same way.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Steve on January 28, 2009, 05:23:43 PM
>>ubuntu is a more suited os for what shes doing,

>>it would be my opinion that he was correct in his advice to go with ubuntu.

Why?

edit>> I need more than "Micro$oft suxorz and bill gates is teh devil incarnate!!1111oneoneone"

Linux is an operating system for entusiasts and tech's, microsoft is for newbs and the masses.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: A Bit of Fruit on January 28, 2009, 05:52:16 PM
Quote
Linux is an operating system for entusiasts and tech's, microsoft is for newbs and the masses.

This lady sounds like she is a newb that is part of the masses.

Quote
... and some people can play pro football, and some can fly a space shuttle to the moon. We can't all be good at everything is my point. Sure, we can do our best to get our knowledge up, but I don't need to know how to fix the engine on my car in order to be able to drive it. Some people see PCs in the same way.
Its the reliquishment of respobsibility im worried about. People just expect their computers to be fool proof and unbreakable which companies like Dell have tried to accomplish but I think its very difficult. Computers are complicated! You don't buy a car and expect to be able to drive it without learning how to drive.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: charlie on January 28, 2009, 06:00:09 PM
She lives in a place where every car she has ever seen is an automatic and she has never heard of a manual transmission. She assumes that all cars are automatics. She orders a car and they send her one with a stick. She notices it has something different so she considers taking it back but the sales guy convinces her that it gets better gas mileage and will require less maintenance and that she should keep it. So she does.

That's the analogy. She knows how to drive and probably has driven a lot in the past. But she's wasn't even aware of what the stick shift was and the sales guy convinced her that it was worth it to keep.

There's a difference between somebody who knows that they don't know something and somebody who has no idea that they don't know something. That second person has no chance to solve their problem because they don't know it exists.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Steve on January 28, 2009, 06:00:28 PM
Quote
This lady sounds like she is a newb that is part of the masses.

because she is...hence my point that she most likely misrepresented herslef because shes an ignorant <edit>
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Rob on January 28, 2009, 06:15:18 PM
She lives in a place where every car she has ever seen is an automatic and she has never heard of a manual transmission. She assumes that all cars are automatics. She orders a car and they send her one with a stick. She notices it has something different so she considers taking it back but the sales guy convinces her that it gets better gas mileage and will require less maintenance and that she should keep it. So she does.

That's the analogy. She knows how to drive and probably has driven a lot in the past. But she's wasn't even aware of what the stick shift was and the sales guy convinced her that it was worth it to keep.

There's a difference between somebody who knows that they don't know something and somebody who has no idea that they don't know something. That second person has no chance to solve their problem because they don't know it exists.

Bingo. 10/10.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Rob on January 28, 2009, 06:17:05 PM
>>ubuntu is a more suited os for what shes doing,

>>it would be my opinion that he was correct in his advice to go with ubuntu.

Why?

edit>> I need more than "Micro$oft suxorz and bill gates is teh devil incarnate!!1111oneoneone"

Linux is an operating system for entusiasts and tech's, microsoft is for newbs and the masses.

Hang on. Ubuntu is "an operating system for entusiasts and tech's", so it was right to recommend it for a newb to use on her laptop? You sure?
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: ober on January 28, 2009, 06:23:04 PM
I think the problem is she didn't portray herself as a newb.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Steve on January 28, 2009, 06:53:52 PM
TY ober. I was starting to think it was me...
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Rob on January 28, 2009, 06:59:46 PM
I think the problem is she didn't portray herself as a newb.

Well, I've read it a shitload of times now, and I don't see anywhere where she describes herself as an " entusiast" (sic) or "tech". Of course, if you'd like to quote that bit from that article, or any of the linked ones I'd be happy to retract my opinion :dunno:.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Steve on January 28, 2009, 07:06:37 PM
No dell rep is trained to suggest linux over windows unless it is desired by the user and the user has qualified the reasoning. I guarantee that, because MS is paying dell way more $$
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: charlie on January 29, 2009, 02:43:54 AM
No dell rep is trained to suggest linux over windows unless it is desired by the user and the user has qualified the reasoning. I guarantee that, because MS is paying dell way more $$

You guarantee it? Really? Didn't Rob just give a link that shows that it is automatic to provide Ubuntu in some cases? I actually think it's more likely the reps are instructed to promote Ubuntu. Providing that option has got to be expensive so I doubt they'd do it unless they wanted to actually sell some units with it. If they were happy with Microsoft's money then they wouldn't want to offer Ubuntu at all.

I think the problem is she didn't portray herself as a newb.

Well, I've read it a shitload of times now, and I don't see anywhere where she describes herself as an " entusiast" (sic) or "tech". Of course, if you'd like to quote that bit from that article, or any of the linked ones I'd be happy to retract my opinion :dunno:.

I was thinking the same thing.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Rob on January 29, 2009, 03:04:35 AM
No dell rep is trained to suggest linux over windows unless it is desired by the user and the user has qualified the reasoning. I guarantee that, because MS is paying dell way more $$

*gives up* :suicide:
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: stealth on January 29, 2009, 06:19:30 AM
Well this has all rather made me somewhat keen to try out Ubuntu.  The last time I used 'nix was back in the Caldera days and it was to be blunt, fucking shit.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Steve on January 29, 2009, 09:36:02 AM
The only good thing to ever come from caldera was dr dos. I loved that till the maxblast software came out. I keep two backup copies of maxblast I fn love it.

And charlie I didn't see the link, but something tells me she portrayed herself in a way that fell her into a catagory to sell ubuntu. The point is ubuntu was originally her idea and I'm sure she got all tough woman I can do whatever I'm going to tech school on his ass.

Fucking broads
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: charlie on January 29, 2009, 09:41:29 AM
The only good thing to ever come from caldera was dr dos. I loved that till the maxblast software came out. I keep two backup copies of maxblast I fn love it.

And charlie I didn't see the link, but something tells me she portrayed herself in a way that fell her into a catagory to sell ubuntu. The point is ubuntu was originally her idea and I'm sure she got all tough woman I can do whatever I'm going to tech school on his ass.

Fucking broads

:D Whatever you say, RoD.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Steve on January 29, 2009, 09:49:46 AM
At least it isn't just us. This same debate/conversation is going down on almost every forum with a computer section. I can't imagine how bad it must be on some nix boards
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Rob on January 29, 2009, 10:17:46 AM
The only good thing to ever come from caldera was dr dos. I loved that till the maxblast software came out. I keep two backup copies of maxblast I fn love it.

And charlie I didn't see the link, but something tells me she portrayed herself in a way that fell her into a catagory to sell ubuntu. The point is ubuntu was originally her idea and I'm sure she got all tough woman I can do whatever I'm going to tech school on his ass.

Fucking broads

Here. Hold this stick - no, the other end.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Rob on January 29, 2009, 10:32:07 AM
Wait, I think I see where we have a disconnect here.

RoD's version of events.

Woman goes to Dell and deliberately orders a laptop with Ubuntu on it, then gets pissed off because she can't get it to work.

ЯR's version of events.

Woman unsuspectingly orders a laptop off Dell not realising it has Ubuntu not Windows. When it arrives she can't install her internet software or Word, so she calls Dell to ask them to change it for a Windows equipped machine. The Dell rep persuades her that Ubuntu is cool and that she should keep it. She does but still can't get it to work by which time Dell say "tough break lady, too late".

Reading every article I can on this, I still can't see where my version is wrong :dunno:.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: charlie on January 29, 2009, 10:37:40 AM
It's not.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Rob on January 29, 2009, 10:57:40 AM
This is a great thread to read that shows the polarized viewpoints of both sides.

http://forums.thedailywtf.com/forums/p/10854/189666.aspx

The one called morbiuswilters speaks much sense!

"The whole attitude being expressed here is precisely why Linux will never be mainstream.  The community is full of pathetic nerds who only see Linux as some kind of status symbol or rebellion and not as a practical tool.  At the very least, the "desktop Linux" crowd should have taken this opportunity to help the woman and demonstrate that Linux isn't that "scary" but it seems they would prefer to mock the poor woman for inadvertently using their product.  PROTIP: That is not how you build a successful competitor to Windows.  See, Microsoft got to where they are by throwing their efforts into helping regular people get their work done.  It seems that FOSS community (which almost never creates anything new and just emulates popular apps from other platforms) can't be bothered with actually producing and supporting a useful, practical product."
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Steve on January 29, 2009, 12:39:28 PM
Its clear we won't agree, which is fine. Since this thread hasn't become the typical name calling we have had here lately I'm just going to smile and conceed :)
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Rob on January 29, 2009, 12:51:51 PM
>>name calling

Where?

edit...

Oh.

>>hasn't

Sorry. Misread it first time
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Rob on January 29, 2009, 12:54:20 PM
See, this thread is a model of restrained debate.
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Perspective on January 29, 2009, 01:07:41 PM
Your all fucking wrong, you bunch of blind assholes. ftw wtf :robot:
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: Steve on January 29, 2009, 01:15:11 PM
:rofl2:

Its just not the same as it was when ethic did it :(
Title: Re: AH HA HA HA HA.
Post by: stealth on January 29, 2009, 06:15:41 PM
I don't think it's fair to call her an idiot in the sense that she couldn't work out Ubuntu, not knowing something doesn't equate to idiocy.  Am I an idiot because I don't speak French? No, bilingualism is a skill, just as using an operating system is a skill.

That she trusted the Dell helpdesk with such a major decision and wasn't firm about what she wanted, and in spite of knowing she couldn't get it working in the first place, knowing her programs weren't compatible and the course requirements, still decided to keep using Ubuntu - well that's rather silly isn't it?

She could have done any number of things here - bought a copy of Windows and installed it herself, or had someone else do it.  It's a bit rich to blame her dropping the course without even trying to fix the problem.

Some people aren't blessed with perspicacity. 

And opinions are like arseholes - everyone has one.