Canadian Government Computers to be upgraded Go Ubuntu

Wed Apr 21 19:47:41 UTC 2010

My friend worked at CIC (Immigration and citizenship). There was a
team working to transition from Windows 2000 to windows Vista and part
of the team jobs was to replicate the Win2k interface into vista.
Put both machine side by side and you couldn't tell the difference.

Even where I work right now, we are thinking of switching to Google
Apps and my CTO told me to check how well Outlook is integrated with
Google Apps. He told me the switch would be "too much for some
people".

I could create a Prism/Google launcher on the desktop (and I probably
will) but still, Outlook have to work, the same way.

On 21 April 2010 15:39, James <james2432 at gmail.com> wrote:
> @Mike Leahy
> We are talking from experience with most users in the
> federal/provincial government, we aren't saying that they are incompetent
> outside the workplace, heck a lot of them know how to use windows XP quite
> well at home. There must be something about "HELP DESK"
> that makes them say, why fiddle when we can ask for help. I can understand
> some cases they actually do need help because it's
> technologically past their experience, but when you get a user that has a
> prompt that says "Please enter new password" and they tell the
> help desk they can't login...they didn't try very hard now did they?
> I don't like to generalize, but upgrading OFFICE 2000 to OFFICE 2003 was a
> pain(a lot of help desks) for trivial stuff if they had spent 2 minutes
> looking for it. I wish more people used linux/the mailing list, it's just
> linux DOES TAKE SOME GETTING USE TO(which I don't think a lot
> of government employees could handle the change)
> On Wed, Apr 21, 2010 at 2:55 PM, Mike Leahy <mgleahy at alumni.uwaterloo.ca>
> wrote:
>>
>> Hello all,
>>
>> I'm new to this mailing list...so far, as I'm reading this thread, I'm not
>> feeling very encouraged.  The general end-user issues being described are
>> certainly challenges that would be faced by any organization making the
>> transition from one system to another, open source or otherwise.  However,
>> I
>> don't think the way it's being framed in this discussion is going to help
>> persuade anyone that they should switch to Ubuntu or other FOSS.  If
>> people
>> feel that they are being ridiculed by this community, then they'll turn
>> somewhere else for help and advice.
>>
>>
>> On Wednesday 21 April 2010 14:22:26 James wrote:
>> > Instead of error messages a Video recording should popup telling them
>> > what
>> > is wrong but then they'd complain that they don't know how to plug in
>> > their
>> > headphones
>> >
>> > On Wed, Apr 21, 2010 at 2:05 PM, Jason Yeoman <tuxnician at gmail.com>
>> > wrote:
>> > > I work for a school board as a computer tech and I know all about
>> > > people who don't take the time to actually read messages on their
>> > > computer.  Someone couldn't remember their password so I enabled
>> > > change password on next login.  After they login with a temporary
>> > > password they complain to me that the computer is telling them that
>> > > they cannot login when actually it's asking them to enter a new
>> > > password.
>> > >
>> > > On Wed, Apr 21, 2010 at 1:18 PM, Eric <1ballistic1 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > > > something i've learned from working tech support the last few years:
>> > > > doesnt matter how smart they are, 90% wont read the screen, and the
>> > > > other 10% wont RTFM
>> > > >
>> > > > On Wed, Apr 21, 2010 at 2:03 PM, Chris <candive1 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > > >> When I think about it, you are all right.
>> > > >> The people I have switched from winblows to Ubuntu are always
>> > > >> calling
>> > >
>> > > me.
>> > >
>> > > >> They also called me all the time for windows.
>> > > >> I think they are just too lazy to learn.
>> > > >> My intentions were good.
>> > > >> Chris.
>> > > >>
>> > > >>
>> > > >> On Wed, Apr 21, 2010 at 11:18 AM, Mathieu Charron
>> > > >>
>> > > >> <mathieu.charron at elwillow.net> wrote:
>> > > >>> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>> > > >>> Hash: SHA1
>> > > >>>
>> > > >>> Well, it is possible to switch the server over without switching
>> > > >>> the
>> > > >>> user. NRCan run a bunch of server a good chunk of them are running
>> > > >>> Red Hat Entreprise (They just bought the support for it).
>> > > >>>
>> > > >>> It is not impossible but forget the user, they are just too
>> > > >>> f***ing
>> > > >>> stupid.
>> > > >>>
>> > > >>> On 10-04-21 10:52 AM, ben_steenhorst at railway101.com wrote:
>> > > >>> > For 36 years I worked for a railway of some 20,000 employees.
>> > > >>> > Being
>> > >
>> > > an
>> > >
>> > > >>> > open-source enlightened retiree, I recently sent a note to the
>> > >
>> > > current
>> > >
>> > > >>> > President suggesting that the Corporation could save millions of
>> > > >>> > dollars
>> > > >>> > by switching to open source.I even provided comparison costs
>> > > >>> > etc.
>> > > >>> > All
>> > >
>> > > I
>> > >
>> > > >>> > got `thanx' knowing full well that his IT people are in bed
>> > > >>> >  with
>> > > >>> > the pay-as you-go computer systems suppliers.  And even friends
>> > > >>> > and
>> > > >>> > neighbours give you that `what-part-of-mars-are-you-from look
>> > > >>> > when
>> > >
>> > > you
>> > >
>> > > >>> > talk about Ubuntu etc, you know they just don't get it...
>> > > >>> >
>> > > >>> > Convincing the Gov to switch over, place your bets....
>> > > >>> >
>> > > >>> > On Wed, 2010-04-21 at 08:39 -0600, Donovan Hoggan wrote:
>> > > >>> >> I ran into the same problem when I asked a large non-profit I
>> > > >>> >> worked with if I could have access to OOo on the server.  We
>> > > >>> >> had
>> > > >>> >> just switched from WordPerfect to Microsoft Office.and my buddy
>> > > >>> >> on
>> > > >>> >> the
>> > >
>> > > help
>> > >
>> > > >>> >> desk was telling me about the process.  They were some of the
>> > > >>> >> brightest, most capable people I've ever had the privilege of
>> > >
>> > > working
>> > >
>> > > >>> >> with and yet the problems they had switching were CRAZY.
>> > > >>> >>
>> > > >>> >>
>> > > >>> >> Donovan
>> > > >>> >>
>> > > >>> >> On Wed, Apr 21, 2010 at 8:35 AM, James <james2432 at gmail.com
>> > > >>> >> <mailto:james2432 at gmail.com>> wrote:
>> > > >>> >>
>> > > >>> >>     The problem with upgrading to ubuntu(yes it's an upgrade
>> > > >>> >> from
>> > > >>> >>     windews) is that most government workers are so dumb when
>> > > >>> >> they
>> > > >>> >>     upgraded from windows 2000 to XP people were calling the
>> > > >>> >> help
>> > >
>> > > desk
>> > >
>> > > >>> >>     because they couldn't find the calculator or other
>> > > >>> >>     programs....Imagine if they installed linux and they wanted
>> > > >>> >> to
>> > > >>> >>     access something//didn't know how...it would be a help desk
>> > > >>> >> nightmare
>> > > >>> >>
>> > > >>> >>
>> > > >>> >>     On Wed, Apr 21, 2010 at 12:06 AM, Chris <candive1 at gmail.com
>> > > >>> >>     <mailto:candive1 at gmail.com>> wrote:
>> > > >>> >>
>> > > >>> >>
>> > > >>> >>         I see a Door opening for Ubuntu.
>> > > >>> >>         Someone in charge run with this link.
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > http://news.sympatico.ctv.ca/home/contentposting?feedname=CTV-TOPSTORIES_
>> >
>> > > >V3&showbyline=True&date=true&newsitemid=CTVNews%2f20100420%2fauditor_gener
>> > >al_100420
>> > >
>> > > >>> >> <
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > http://news.sympatico.ctv.ca/home/contentposting?feedname=CTV-TOPSTORIES_
>> >
>> > > >V3&showbyline=True&date=true&newsitemid=CTVNews%2f20100420%2fauditor_gener
>> > >al_100420
>> > >
>> > > >>> >>         Chris.
>> > > >>> >>
>> > > >>> >>
>> > > >>> >>         --
>> > > >>> >>         ubuntu-ca mailing list
>> > > >>> >>         ubuntu-ca at lists.ubuntu.com <mailto:
>> > >
>> > > ubuntu-ca at lists.ubuntu.com>
>> > >
>> > > >>> >>         https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-ca
>> > > >>> >>
>> > > >>> >>
>> > > >>> >>
>> > > >>> >>     --
>> > > >>> >>     ubuntu-ca mailing list
>> > > >>> >>     ubuntu-ca at lists.ubuntu.com
>> > > >>> >> <mailto:ubuntu-ca at lists.ubuntu.com>
>> > > >>> >>     https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-ca
>> > > >>>
>> > > >>> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
>> > > >>> Version: GnuPG v1.4.10 (GNU/Linux)
>> > > >>> Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org/
>> > > >>>
>> > > >>> iEYEARECAAYFAkvPF0IACgkQzYdxdTKatqWTzQCgjRfA9EnmAsGjeEFHQ0aA9FHK
>> > > >>> EoMAn3gNtwh65JfMrb7ZRDgf2gIFkInG
>> > > >>> =+DuS
>> > > >>> -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
>> > > >>>
>> > > >>> --
>> > > >>> ubuntu-ca mailing list
>> > > >>> ubuntu-ca at lists.ubuntu.com
>> > > >>> https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-ca
>> > > >>
>> > > >> --
>> > > >> ubuntu-ca mailing list
>> > > >> ubuntu-ca at lists.ubuntu.com
>> > > >> https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-ca
>> > > >
>> > > > --
>> > > > ubuntu-ca mailing list
>> > > > ubuntu-ca at lists.ubuntu.com
>> > > > https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-ca
>> > >
>> > > --
>> > > ubuntu-ca mailing list
>> > > ubuntu-ca at lists.ubuntu.com
>> > > https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-ca
>> >
>>
>> --
>> ubuntu-ca mailing list
>> ubuntu-ca at lists.ubuntu.com
>> https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-ca
>
>
> --
> ubuntu-ca mailing list
> ubuntu-ca at lists.ubuntu.com
> https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-ca
>
>

-- 
Mathieu Charron
<mathieu.charron at elwillow.net> <elwillow at gmail.com>
GPG key ID: 329AB6A5 (http://private.elwillow.net/elwillow.asc)
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