Fedora and the "normal" user

Wolfgang S. Rupprecht wolfgang.rupprecht+gnus200703 at gmail.com
Sun Mar 25 19:24:02 UTC 2007


"Peter Lauri" <lists at dwsasia.com> writes:
> Is there anyone here who has enforced usage of Fedora on your staff's
> computers where the staff has pretty low computer experience etc. I assume
> I just need to give them time to get used to it.

If they have low computer experience in this day and age chances are
they simply aren't the sort of users that are interested in figuring
things out for themselves.  Expect to write simple step by step cheat
sheets for all the tasks they need to do.  Expect to have to figure
out various settings for them that keeps their mouse buttons, scroll
wheel and keyboard macros mapped the way they are used to.

> Would you recommend them to use GNOME or KDE?

Go with the flow.  You are going to have enough problems with user
hand-holding.  Don't go out of your way to create more.  If the
default user account gets created as a gnome account (as it does in
fedora) then use it.

> What is the main concern about a Windows -> Fedora transform for "normal"
> people? 

1) MS-specific file formats (eg *.doc, etc) that people will mail
   them.  You just have to teach your users to ask for the documents
   in "plain text format".

2) proprietary format web page inclusions (eg. the shockwave crap).
   Just tell them sorry, proprietary formats just aren't viewable from 
   here.

> Would you let your mum use Fedora instead of and Win XP machine? (assume
> that you installed it properly for her).

Sure.  But the problem of a home use is different.  Many times they
just want to be entertained and not being able to view a proprietary
format file or web page will piss them off.

-wolfgang
-- 
Wolfgang S. Rupprecht                http://www.wsrcc.com/wolfgang/




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