[xubuntu-users] A side divagation Re: The Devil's Advocate

Fri Jul 14 14:32:12 UTC 2017

OK. I need to make a little detour to see if I can convey what I wish to
express in sensible terms.

Humans in general like to live in a known environment where they feel
comfortable, which we call one's comfort zone.

And - in general - humans have an instinctive fear of the unknown (note
that "unknown" means strictly "that which is not known"; let's leave absurd
connotations like paranormal & associates out of this please) because on
one hand throws them out of their comfort zone and on the other hand more
often than not it brings about changes... changes to their comfort zone.

There are exceptions of course. Adventurous, pioneering, inquisitive,
investigative minds and personalities, actually actively seek, crave even,
the unknown... to push boundaries, to discover what's beyond, to find
novelties, etc...

What neither type seems to understand, though, is that the only constant in
life is change. And ironically, it is the very type that fiercely resist
change and love the comfort zone, that more often than not get bored of the
stagnation of the comfort zone and actually start shouting for changes to
be necessary.

Windows and linux users are of both types alike. With one major
difference...

In linuxland, much richer of adventurous and inquisitive types, the
comfort-zone traditionalists are such by their own choice and volition.

In windowsland however, the adventurous and inquisitive types have little
if any choice but to remain traditionalist, because the very nature of
windowsland "molds" and brain washes them into such a state of acceptance,
by not giving them any other choice.

Then, of course, their inquisitive and adventurous natures sooner or later
start to have claustrophic panic attacks... and yet, they are conditioned
to believe that they have no choice.

Another peculiarity about humans, is a sickening and almost unconscious
collective social tendency to stigmatization and stupid prejudice.

So. All the above said, here's the crunch...

I'm very reluctant and worried to mention that the distro that I would like
to see acting as a safe bridge for windowers to transition to linuxers, is
already out there and I can't think of any better one.

Because the moment I name it, human tendencies kick in and prejudice and
stigmatization will hit it from linuxland, by automatically starting to
diminish it, and ostracize it as a "lesser distro", a traitor of sorts to
linux, a "muggle" in the wizardry world.

And yet, the truth is that it is actually a fabulous piece of software
wizardry and a testament to its creators' skills, understanding of the
balance between practicality and user needs, and creativity.

I'm of course talking of xubuntu with xfce.

Of all the folks that I introduced to Mate, not one has stuck to it, mainly
because of hardware issues that they say it was too difficult to understand
the instructions to correct them.

Yet every single one that I have introduced to xubuntu xfce with the
instructions from the webpage "10 things to do after installing xubuntu",
including some that had first been on Mate, has been hanging onto it and
enjoying it.

One or two has had wireless problems, but told me that googled "wireless
not working on xubuntu on [laptop make and model]" and after reading a few
pages found one with instructions to copy and then paste on a terminal and
bang, problem solved.

All those with samsungs had the same screen tearing problem I had and did
the same I did... googled it, found a page with instructions and
explanations and bang, problem solved.

So... with the uttermost respect to every and all linux distros out there,
when it comes to ease of transition from windows and to have the least
hardware/software problems after install, my rookie experience so far is
that Xubuntu with Xfce tops the charts at number 1.

Last week I tried Lubuntu with xfce on 3 laptops... good, enjoyed it,
recommend it, but gave me mixed results with different machines.

Xubuntu on the other hand, has performed flawlessly on every single machine
I have been clean installing it, and every machine has different hardware.

I personally haven't even had one single glitch with the wireless, but
although my machines are all different, they all use the same wireless
chipsets so maybe I have just been lucky so far.

In any case, I can't but rate xubuntu as top of the charts to my transition
from windows to linux.

And if it did the trick to me and it's hooking every friend and colleague
I'm introducing to it, surely it will do the trick for at least the
majority of windows death-row-desperate-to-escape-dissidents...lol...

So. I'm not stopping exploring and fiddling with other distros, mainly
because I'm thirsty to learn and to get as much info as possible for a
project that is taking form in my head... a modest but clear help file for
newbies like me... but I am definitely sticking to xubuntu xfce as my main
foundation and for all my serious work, as my main laptop and tower PC
alike are already a testament to.

Now I just need to check that BricsCad CAD program to have all my needs
completly covered.

And took me less than 3 months, even with periods of 9 days in a row
without touching a puter because work barely left me time to sleep...

My philosophy: if I can do it and if it works for me, everybody can do it
and it will work for everybody :)

Tda ;)

On 14 Jul 2017 06:53, "Joao Monteiro" <jmonteiro257 at gmail.com> wrote:

And since when is capitalism a good thing? A system that puts a price on
human life and renders the hypocrates oath of doctors a farse and a charade
of hypocrisy, where you can only get medical treatment if you can afford to
pay for it?

Would like to see you speaking high of greed and capitalism if it was your
life or the life of one of your children or parents or partner on the
line...

Anyway. I'd prefer that the thread stuck to linux related issues and didn't
go astray into politics any more than the relevant and necessary but hey...
I can as easily be a tda in there as well... I just don't think that
capitalists and greedy characteres will like it a bit... ;)

Tda ;)

On 14 Jul 2017 06:14, "Guang Chao" <guang.chao.1974 at gmail.com> wrote:

>
>
> On Thu, Jul 13, 2017 at 7:51 PM, Michael Höhne <mih-hoehne at web.de> wrote:
>
>> Joao Monteiro <jmonteiro257 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>> > 99% of humankind's social problems are rooted right there... in greed.
>>
>> You're so damn right!!!
>>
>
> But greed is important.  That's what makes capitalism effective.
>
>
>>
>> Regards,
>> Michael
>>
>> --
>>     ____
>>    / / / / /__/      Michael Höhne /
>>   /   / / /  /  mih-hoehne at web.de /
>>  ________________________________/
>>
>>
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>
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