Social Experiment

[James Takac]

On Sunday 16 September 2007 14:33:00 Alex Janssen wrote:
> Brian Fahrlander said the following on 09/15/2007 04:59 PM:
> >     Interesting how people can hate something that's good for them, huh?
>
> We don't know until it's proven to us.
>
> >      Just curious; was it attempting to do "wyse60"? There's a tool that
> > runs, under the terminal, that will translate all those codes, and does
> > a really good job, too.  I noticed it at a failed installation a while
> > ago. (It wouldn't have failed if I'd actually been a PART of the design,
> > instead of the afterthought...)
>
> SCO console.
>
> >      There are a TON of SCO situations where, since the company's going
> > under, we could take their place; it's not 1-to-1, but so very close
> > it's not funny.  It not like, translating a Windows/Mac/etc program from
> > fresh.  Most of the time those programs are stuck with serial lines for
> > printers, completely oblivious to the lp program since....1980?
>
> My accounting system, OSAS, is available, for the past several years, on
> Linux.
>
> >      THIS is a good plan...cause they really *don't* care, as long as
> > the apps are supported. In one case in Chicago. I took the least
> > computer savvy person I could find, in accounting, and set'er up on
> > Linux.  With telnet/etc for the main app (which was SCO) and a VMWare
> > instance to replace a special program she had, she was actually DEFINANT
> > in keeping it- she loved it.  And when the other machines were hit with
> > slammer/sobig/mailissa, etc, she was able to smile.
>
> Once they start using it, it's like anything else, they realize it
> doesn't hurt.
>
> >    As much as I'd LOVE to hear more about this, yeah, it's probably
> > best done in sounder.
> >
> >     Does anyone have the URL for that mailing list?  I might try it for
> > a while...
>
> I found it. - sounder at lists.ubuntu.com
> Posted there.
>
> This is great!
> Alex
>
> --
> Ourwoods.org
>  Do not learn the tricks of the trade ... learn the trade. (87)

Hi Alex

I've seen similar when transitioning from one version of windows to another. 
When win95 first came out, I was one of those that didn't like the new 
menuing system. However as I got used to it I found it at least no worse than 
the previous system. Was just that I got used to one way. Same in 
transitioning to linux. As one gets used to the new one oft asks, what the 
hell did I complain about again?!

1) We get stuck in our ways
2) We fear that which we don't understand

My advice to help ease the transition for these people is to

1) help them when needed
2) teach them to find answers for themselves, i.e. show them how to find man 
pages, use help files built into programs, or use google to find answers. Or 
as a joke you could send them to a particular site if they make no effort to 
find out for themselves, e.g.

http://fuckinggoogleit.com/

But of course make sure they have a sense of humor before doing so. LOL

James