[xubuntu-users] Is there a list for *ABSOLUTE* beginners withXubuntu?

[David Walland]

George, tried that, didn't work.  Other advice and a wiki lead me to
believe that I put a space in where I shouldn't have...  As time allows,
around major DIY jobs an "Mission Control" in full cry, I'll try again
*without* the space.  See what I mean about holes and falling down them?
David


On 10 September 2013 22:00, George DiceGeorge <dicegeorge at hotmail.com>wrote:

>   aha,
> in windows you download an exe file and then click it to install,
> in xubuntu i go to software center
> choose libreoffice
> and it downloads and installs in one process.
> [g]
>
>
>  *From:* David Walland <davidwalland at googlemail.com>
> *Sent:* Tuesday, 10 September, 2013 21:51
> *To:* Xubuntu Support and User Discussions<xubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com>
> *Subject:* Re: [xubuntu-users] Is there a list for *ABSOLUTE* beginners
> withXubuntu?
>
>
> Dear Peter and the list,
>
> My big problem is that I don't have the vocabulary to ask my questions or
> to express myself clearly to you all.  Also you (the list) have a tendency
> not to tell me how to sort out what is going on but rather to say "use
> another machine".
>
> What I thought I had asked about revolves around the fact that I have
> downloaded Office Libre onto the computer and am unable to get the machine
> to load the program.  If I had XP on the machine and half a day, I could do
> this easily, if tediously.  I searched the internet and tried the various
> suggestions I could find and none of them worked.  I *think* I have all the
> programmes downloaded onto the computer, but I'm variously get told that
> the system can't find them or I get error messages flashed up and gone so
> fast that *I* can't read them.  I haven't yet worked out how to copy the
> error messages so I can pass them to people who'd understand them and could
> tell me how to approach the problem.  I want to learn - I can already
> probably do all the things I *need* to do on this old laptop.  I want (read
> for this elephant's child "need") to understand, not simply use the thing
> by rote.  That means I have to do it, not have it done for me.
>
> For me this is a game with a serious side.  I would hate to lose my
> marbles and one way with high probability of success in preventing it is to
> keep using them as much as possible.  Anyway I've been learning all my life
> and like doing so.
>
> Have I given enough information to enable you to tell me how to progress
> to finding why this won't load, or do you need more and if so what
> information do you need and how do I access it?
>
> I'm really grateful for all of your concern and wanting to help.  The
> problem, as you have so rightly pointed out, is to establish two way
> communication, preferably meaning the same thing to both ends.  I'm mostly
> self-taught with computing too, which doesn't help (You never know there's
> a hole in your knowledge until you fall down it!)
>
> I'm working very hard to keep both my frustration with myself and my sense
> of humour under control and am praying that I'm coming across as pleasant
> and positive, not wingeing and miserable, nor apparently trying to score
> points.  I'm sure we must be able to sort things so we can progress this.
> It's terribly embarrassing to feel so helpless in what I've always
> considered myself rather good at.  There's egg dripping off my face...
>
> Best regards,
>
> David
>
>
> On 10 September 2013 20:54, Peter Flynn <peter at silmaril.ie> wrote:
>
>> On 09/10/2013 09:17 AM, David Walland wrote:
>> > Only to the extent of your reply giving me details of the UK UGs.
>> > No-one else seems to quite understand how difficult it is to work out
>> > how to get *in* when you're *out*.  The latest oddments added to my
>> > question appear to be written in "Outer Swahili" rather than even
>> > "Outer Mongolian" and appear to have no relationship to beginners of
>> > whatever level.
>>
>> David, it would be massively useful to those of us who write technical
>> documentation if you could point these out precisely, so that we can
>> re-word them.
>>
>> I *do* remember how hard it was to "get in", but it was 30 years ago,
>> and the details have become blurred by time.
>>
>> > This list has apparently mostly forgotten they had to learn the
>> > information that I need, to *start* on the learning curve.
>>
>> Absolutely that. But what I haven't been able to get from what you have
>> said so far, is exactly *which* bits are causing the problem. I do make
>> some assumptions: when I teach classes, I *do* require that attendees
>> know how to use a keyboard and how to move and click a mouse, and that
>> they know what an icon and a menu are, and that they understand the idea
>> of a hierarchical file system (family-tree of directories containing
>> files).
>>
>> You already know that much, and obviously a lot more, so it must be
>> something else we're saying that doesn't make sense...but we don't know
>> what it is.
>>
>> > [...] the much simpler language of X/Ubuntu is going to be possible
>> > if I can learn the fundamental "grammar" and basic structure.
>>
>> Yes. But to do so I am guessing you need to learn some vocabulary first,
>> otherwise there won't be any way to communicate the basics. Our problem
>> is we don't know what bits are causing you difficulties.
>>
>> ///Peter
>>
>>
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>
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