<div dir="ltr"><div>Dear Elfy,</div><div><br></div>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.<div>
<br></div><div>As soon as I have finished my big DIY projects, I'll contact the UK user groups to see if there's anyone prepared to mentor me for a while, locally. I'm neither stupid nor "past-it" and should be able, with face-to-face discussions, to learn the necessary information to use X/Ubuntu fairly rapidly. This list has apparently mostly forgotten they had to learn the information that I need, to *start* on the learning curve. I learnt Danish to fluency - to the point of being able to work directly with Danish patients in the Oncology Department of a Danish hospital (Vejle Syghus, if anyone wants to check). If I can start learning a rule-free language like Danish to fluency at age 40 (and at 66 and hearing impaired, I'm still fluent), then the much simpler language of X/Ubuntu is going to be possible if I can learn the fundamental "grammar" and basic structure. Learning Danish from a Danish wife was not enough. I had to move there and learn from people while being immersed in it. Now that's a lot harder than a logical language like a computer language, so what I really need is someone who'll help me get that basic structure and roughly what each part of it does, so I can go on and learn from there.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Professionally, I was a University Radiation Protection specialist from lab technician up to Radiation Protection Adviser. I've written detailed "Codes of Practice" and once I get there, I may be able to produce documentation which deals with this very simple material for those who are starting from around zero. But first *I've* got to get off the start line and so far I'm not really managing to do so...</div>
<div><br></div><div>Thanks for asking the question Elfy, only my warped sense of humour is keeping my frustration from overflowing...</div><div><br></div><div>Regards</div><div><br></div><div>David</div></div><div class="gmail_extra">
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On 9 September 2013 23:12, Elfy <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:ub.untu@btinternet.com" target="_blank">ub.untu@btinternet.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div text="#000000" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><div class="im">
<div>On 03/09/13 15:14, David Walland wrote:<br>
</div>
</div><div><div class="h5"><blockquote type="cite">
<div dir="ltr">I went onto this list, hoping to learn from it but
I'm *SUCH* a newbie with Linux/X/Ubuntu that it could mostly be
written in Outer Mongolian without reducing the amount of
meaning I get from it.
<div><br>
</div>
<div>I'm 66 and have worked with computers on and off since
1964, so I'm no novice. I was fairly expert on BBC Micros in
the 1980s and was also programming in hex on the 6800 at that
time. Since the PC revolution, I've been just a user and I
simply can't seem to get off first base with Xubuntu, which I
have on a laptop so ancient it defaults to 1998 if the onboard
battery fails (often).</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>It runs surprisingly quickly on an older version of Xubuntu
(10.04). I can use it for ordinary "user" things but can't
manage to get Office Libre to load (it *downloaded* OK!) onto
the machine and the error messages don't use words memorable
enough for me to record them (they flash on screen and then
disappear before I can do anything sensible!)</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Is there any local group in the NE of England I could join
for mentoring? I really want to learn Linux/Ubuntu and run my
XP machines on it from next year - all I need is some help to
get me up to where I can learn alone.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Videos are no help as I'm hearing impaired from birth and
can't concentrate on both hearing and grasping content at the
same time.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Regards,</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>David Walland</div>
</div>
<br>
<fieldset></fieldset>
<br>
</blockquote>
<br></div></div>
So - after a whole bunch of replies - some getting further and
further into the intricacies of various issues - are you any the
wiser David? <br><div class="im">
<br>
Elfy<br>
<pre cols="72">--
Ubuntu Forum Council Member
Xubuntu QA Lead</pre>
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