[ubuntu-uk] Linux User Group of Glastonbury (was High Wycombe LUG)

Sean Miller sean at seanmiller.net
Sun Jul 29 11:53:03 UTC 2012


On 29 July 2012 12:12, Alan Pope <alan.pope at canonical.com> wrote:
>> Not to mention that if you get a Debian user, a KDE user on another
>> distro, a Gnome user and a Ubuntu together in one room there is
>> guaranteed to be fireworks.  We have the challenge of "evangelism",
>> people not trying to help but rather convert, saying things like "that
>> wouldn't happen on *MY* distribution"...
>>
>
> Shouldn't happen IMO, but of course will because the kinds of people who
> attend LUG meetings are often passionate about the choices they make. :)
> Take a Ford owner/fan to a Fiat owners club and you'd probably get the same
> thing.

Problem is, Alan, that if the person who has come to the meet simply
wants a solution to their problem (within the distribution they have
"chosen" [or found on a disc]) this just  makes the problem worse.

In other words, instead of people trying to resolve their problem
random members of the LUG say "I have basically the same hardware as
yours, and it works so let's re-install your laptop, and go with mine
as it will work" and then half the things that *WERE* working stop
doing so, but the original issue is resolved.

That's no way to enthuse people about Linux is it?

They end up with an idea something like the "you can't please all of
the people..." meme but related to Linux, and they get the idea that
if you have wonderful wireless you have to have a rubbish UI, or if
you get a good UI then you can't use your scanner etc. etc. etc.

All very bad - what we need to do is find ways to resolve issues
people have with Ubuntu before other members of the group try to poach
them to their preferred distro on the basis it will resolve their
issue (but, potentially, create others).

And that is the challenge of a LUG.  Because the "Debian evangelists"
and similar are always lurking to poach people from their chosen
route, and I get tired of it (to be honest).

As a Ubuntu user I'd be quite happy to help a user of any other
distribution to solve their problems and suggesting a change of distro
would *always* be "the last resort".

Sean



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