Fwd: Re: user lev... ahem, novices and experts

[Malcolm Yates]

See - I am dumb - I use the wrong id all the time ......

----------  Forwarded Message  ----------

Subject: Re: user lev... ahem, novices and experts
Date: Tuesday 20 December 2005 10:33
From: Malcolm Yates <mdy at canonical.com>
To: sounder at lists.ubuntu.com

On Tuesday 20 December 2005 10:02, Michael Shigorin wrote:
> On Mon, Dec 19, 2005 at 08:26:10PM +0000, Tristan Wibberley wrote:
> > I *would* get rid things like gnome-top and cpu/network
> > monitoring applets from the CD (I don't know if those are on
> > there), I would also get rid of half the desktop preferences
> > and just give them a couple of "profiles" in the system menu
> > for accessibility themes vs standard. And put an "Advanced
> > Desktop Configuration Menu" in the "Add Applications" list to
> > make it easy to get the Preferences menu.
>
> It's also about user level to some harsh degree.

It absolutely is.

> E.g. Mandrake 7.x
> would allow for choosing being "novice" or "expert", and that was
> almost good -- just that ALT has figured the fact most newbies
> would like to consider themselves "experts" and then ask silly
> questions on a bit more tightly secured system (like wheel-only
> su and sudo).

I think we should take a step back and ask the question ' Who is the target
user of Ubuntu ? '

I can understand why this thread is going on with such speed, but if I may
offer my humble opinion as a technically capable dumd user, I don't want or
need to specify GCC to install stuff.

Representing the target user ( after all Ubuntu is developed to make Linux
simple to use, right ? ), they should be able use the GUI to install software
and be fairly ignorant of the mechanism below.

I would ( also humbly ) suggest that anyone who comments on GCC is not a
regular user, and should therefore be able to sort their own problems.

If the target user receives a message asking for something that they do not
understand, they will move onto something else and ignore that problem.

So actually, I quite like the idea of specifying experience level at boot
time ....

> The solution was to move the "expert" choice right to the boot
> menu so that pressenter types would just skip it altogether --
> and not calling an alternative "novice" ;-)

Never call anyone 'novice' 'naive' 'beginner' - it doesn't help them at all.

Except internally, where there has to be a distinction between the types.

> That's because Aunt Polly might be more comfortable with what you
> advise but e.g. I wasn't comfortable with full default Breezy
> install at all. (it's no problem since it was considered basing
> on previous reading)

And Aunt Polly may well be our target .... and all she will want to do is
email, browse, view photos, maybe play movies, and probably word process.

Not b*gger about with GCC .......

Cheers,

Malc

> --
>  ---- WBR, Michael Shigorin <mike at altlinux.ru>
>   ------ Linux.Kiev http://www.linux.kiev.ua/

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-- 
Ubuntu - Linux for Human Beings
http://www.ubuntu.com		http://www.canonical.com
-------------------
Grusse/Cordialement/Saluti/Saludos/Med Venlig/Helsning/Saygilarimla
Mobile		: +44 (0) 7769 703709 
Office		: +44 (0) 20 7052 9842 
Fax		: +44 (0) 20 7052 9849
Mail		: Axiscross House, 25/27 Mossop Street, London SW3 2LY  UK
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