securitybreach Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 I have converted many users, including my wife, to Linux in the past 10 years and and I am still going strong. If you do it right, Linux will do a better job for your users than Mac OS X or Windows … if you do it right. Harvey Dent: Two sides of Linux advocacy There are two ways of converting a user to Linux. The first to format a user’s computer without investing time in learning what the PC is used for, with the assumption that you know best, and then install your own favorite apps and tell the user to use them. When the user complains he can’t do such-and-such thing anymore, you respond: “why do you need to do that; do this instead.” The result? The user goes back to his or her former operating system, with not-so-fond memories of Linux.The second way is to first invest time in carefully identifying the user’s needs and then decide whether Linux really is right for that user. I have actually refrained from converting a few users to Linux after realizing their heavy reliance on some particular software or services that were not yet available for Linux. To them, a PC was just a means to do a particular job and in those cases the job at hand was more important than the OS. Aggressively forcing those users to switch to Linux would only do more harm than good. Why so serious? Let’s put a smile on that face I have a simple conversion strategy. First get the users comfortable with the tools, applications or services they will be using under Linux. I have a very good use case where I deployed this strategy. When I lived in Garmisch Germany, my best buddy there (and he still is my best friend) was an Irishman named Dominic Kennedy who happened to be a Windows user.The good news was that he was on the fence: he had heard about Linux and was willing to give it a try. However we had to get him comfortable with Linux so that he didn't have to relearn everything. My strategy is called ‘how to change all four tires of your car without getting your hands dirty’. You guessed it right, you replace one tire at a time. In most cases, open source applications do a much better job than their proprietary counterparts in consumer as well as professional space. The first thing I did was to understand what Dominic was doing on his computer, and which applications he was using. I invested time in understanding his usage of each applications. Once I had that knowledge I started replacing those applications with open source ones on his current system. Keep in mind I don’t start with OS replacement, I start off with applications......... http://www.itworld.c...s-to-linux.html 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abarbarian Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 Slap them with a large wet fish until they agree to become a penguinista. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedon James Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 Cool article. This is actually the strategy I use. It's kind of ironic...suggest to someone that they switch from Windows to Linux, at NO CHARGE, and their spine stiffens a little as they protest. Show them a FREE version of software that replaces a PAID version and they're all ears. Take what they give you...replace their PAID software with free open-source software that is cross-platform. With that accomplished, just wait for the next windows malware infection or slow-down and introduce the final FREE software, the OS itself. At that point you have a track record, you're credible, and nothing bad has happened. They're open to hearing more! I've had folks come to me and say "that's it...I'm sick of windows...i'm tired of viruses...i'm tired of paying for new versions of software that I've already paid for! can you put on my computer whatever you have on yours?!" 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saturnian Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 I've helped out a few people who were getting started with Linux. Lots of people know that I use Linux because I talk about it often. But I've never tried to convert anyone. Kinda surprises me that more people don't gravitate over to Linux on their own. The info's out there, and it's no big secret. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedon James Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 I've helped out a few people who were getting started with Linux. Lots of people know that I use Linux because I talk about it often. But I've never tried to convert anyone. Kinda surprises me that more people don't gravitate over to Linux on their own. The info's out there, and it's no big secret. I don't seek to convert users saturn, but when I come across a disgruntled computer user, I do listen to their issues. And if linux would address those issues, I speak up. Some want to know more, and usually end up trying things out. Some could care less and it's obvious. Your second comment regarding surprise that more folks don't gravitate to linux on their own used to be me. But I've learned there are WAY MORE users of the second type in the article: folks who are OS agnostic...their computers are just tools to accomplish a task; I've met folks who don't know if their OS is Mac, Windows or something else, and the Windows folks don't know if its ME, XP, Vista, 7, or whatever. They don't know, and they don't care, as long as it helps them to get the job done. Except for one of my young friends, Austin, who is a college student. Austin is a brand name snob who hated his Dell laptop and the Windows 7 OS on it. Seems like every few weeks I'd hear another rant of an instance where it was acting up, making his life miserable. So I gave him a live CD and instructed him how to use it, although he didn't seem enthused about the prospect, which was unusual in my experiences. The periodic complaints continued. I asked about his thoughts on the Linux Mint CD I provided him. He responded "oh Jim, you're always trying to convert me to linux." I was stunned...I had informed him of an alternative and showed him how to check it out. That was the extent of it, but apparently that was too much pressure for him. I responded in kind "oh Austin, you're always complaining about your Windows computer, but you never DO anything about it. Is it more important to you to get it fixed, or to continue to complain?" He responded that he was just going to buy a Mac, as Apple makes the best stuff anyway. At the time, I had a MacBuntu theme pack on my wife's laptop, cuz she's all about how "pretty" things look. When I showed Austin, he smugly stated "I thought you didn't like Apple?" To which I responded "that's not true. Mac OS X is based on BSD, which is very similar to Linux, but instead of Open Source and Free, it's locked down. And Mac charges too much for this 'service' they provided to you. THIS computer is just Linux with a Mac OS X theme pack to resemble Mac. It took about 1 hour to install Linux, update programs, and change to a Mac appearance." I thought I had his interest, but wrong again. He replied "That's why Macs cost more. Cuz they're worth it. They do everything for you." Once again, this 18 year old had me stunned. He would rather spend $1,000 on a new Mac laptop with an apple logo than to refurbish his old Win7 laptop (with remarkably similar specs in terms of intel processor, ram, hard drive, etc...). To which I pointed out, "I converted this machine in 1 hour. You are a new user with little familiarity, so it would take you longer, although I am certainly willing to help you. Let's say it would take 2 hours instead of 1. Are you telling me that your TIME is worth more than $500 per hour?" (he works at Subway) He never answered me, but his flushed red face told me my answer. He just wanted a $1,000 status symbol. He had the money and he was willing to pay it. But that Windows 7 laptop was a problem, as his parents bought it for him and he needed a reason to upgrade. So he touted every miserable Windows experience he encountered, thereby justifying a new machine. And he bought a Mac laptop. He solved his problem in the only way he could. And linux wasn't the answer. But at least I don't have to listen to his Windows gripes anymore. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted May 22, 2015 Author Share Posted May 22, 2015 Hedon, that is pretty shameful but kids will be kids I guess.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saturnian Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 Yeah, my own son -- also a college student -- he's used Linux on my computers with no problem, but his aunt bought him a Macbook right before his freshman year... He's shown no interest in Linux, really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted May 22, 2015 Author Share Posted May 22, 2015 That new Macbook would run Linux beautifully Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedon James Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 That new Macbook would run Linux beautifully And apparently Windows 10! Seems like it runs everything beautifully, except OS X! http://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-10-unequivocally-better-than-os-x-on-apples-new-macbook/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saturnian Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 That new Macbook would run Linux beautifully LOL! Well, it isn't new anymore -- he got it freshman year and he's a senior now -- but I've been telling him all along that when he finishes school and/or gets a new computer, I want the Macbook so I can try putting Linux on it! But Macs seem to last forever; I could be waiting a very long time. Anyway, I started in with Linux when he was kinda young, and I've talked with him a lot about it and showed him lots of things. But he used XP on his computer through high school, and then the Macbook. I never pushed Linux on him; my attitude was, "Let him decide, he can figure things out and decide what he wants to do on his own. He's got a brain." And I guess I have that same attitude towards other people. I've often thought that if I lived near my parents, maybe I'd set them up with Linux, and I'd be around to help out, if necessary. I think they would have been my first converts. I think sometimes about sending them a Chromebook. I think that would be perfect for the things they do on a computer. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebrke Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 Take what they give you...replace their PAID software with free open-source software that is cross-platform. I was able to go that far with my mother's laptop--gave her Libre office and GnuCash, but the pre-installed win7 will probably last until she doesn't need it any more--she's 87. She was very dubious about linux, even though she lives with me and I'm her tech support. I got her the win7 laptop last year and am using her old XP-era laptop with openSuSE. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedon James Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 Take what they give you...replace their PAID software with free open-source software that is cross-platform. I was able to go that far with my mother's laptop--gave her Libre office and GnuCash, but the pre-installed win7 will probably last until she doesn't need it any more--she's 87. She was very dubious about linux, even though she lives with me and I'm her tech support. I got her the win7 laptop last year and am using her old XP-era laptop with openSuSE. I don't see anything wrong with that. While I'm no fan of windows, I'm not a hater either. If Win7 suits her purposes, and it's running fine for her, and she has no complaints...why fix what ain't broken. But if Win7 starts acting buggy, or crashing, or gets a bad malware infection...that's a different conversation! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zlim Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 The seniors I help, in their 70's and 80's have a hard enough time when a new version of Windows comes out. Fortunately I got them all off XP before the deadline approached!!! It becomes very difficult to learn something new, such as linux, when you are in your 70's and 80's (you youngsters will discover that the brain simply takes longer to absorb something new) so I'm not on a mission to confuse them more. I help them find in a new version of windows where things they used are now located. It was even hard showing how a USB stick replaces the floppies that were used for decades. I gave up trying to teach my mom how to type on a computer keyboard. I thought it would be easier for her than the old manual typewriters she was using. She'd press the key too hard because that's how she'd been doing it for 70 years. She'd end up with a dozen of one letter. Correcting would be a nightmare. I knew even buying her an electric typewriter would be useless. So she never used a computer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted May 24, 2015 Author Share Posted May 24, 2015 I understand what you all mean about older folks (and generally most people) but I can guarantee that most of them only use the browser anyway so it shouldn't be hard to make look close to windows (Start menu and such) and label the icon for the browser "Internet". I have converted a few of my aunts and uncles and really they cannot tell a difference besides they do not have to worry about viruses and malware as much. Nowadays it is very easy as 80% of all users only use the browser for their day to day activities, hence why chromebooks are taking off as they are. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarryB Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 Crap, I have a hard enough time getting folks to secure their WIFI ,muchless start trying linux. I have to agree most dont know, care or are aware. And the ones that do, well ..they tend to be like us, they tinker with their systems regardless of OS, and some will try something new. I have had to show some folks how to do something over and over again in linux nd in their mind " the computer is stupid" and linux is to hard, but funny thing is ..same folk I had to show them how to do things in windows over and over again too, and in their minds it was the "stupid computer" What I have found is that even after ranting about windows, for whatever reason(usually its about an application, but they dont know the difference amyway) they still will stick with what they...ummm...know. Except for a few and us closet geeks most folks won't try or change anything until the pain of change is less than the pain of staying the same. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zlim Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 most of them only use the browser anyway Not the seniors I help. Quite a few use Office. They send and receive docs or docx files, create databases to track banquet info, create mailing lists to print labels, work with pictures they download from children and grandkids, create reports on monthly and yearly expenses and more. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted May 24, 2015 Author Share Posted May 24, 2015 Well that's cool Liz. Most people I run across simply use their computers for facebook and the likes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zlim Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 Very few of the "seniors" I help use Facebook. The grandkids have to "talk" to them by email. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raymac46 Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 I've helped out lots of seniors and only a couple have really taken to Linux. The remainder can always find something (like Adobe Digital Editions for e-library books) that works better with Windows. They'd rather put up with the viruses, worms, malware and CPU sucking security programs. They'll happily pay the Apple tax for an iPad though. I agree with HJ that the best one can do here is get them on to the open source software like Firefox Thunderbird and Libre Office. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zlim Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Correction to my previous post. One of my "seniors", a former student of mine and a few years younger than me is still running XP. She just discovered she will be coming into a little bit of money and intends to buy a new computer. I told her to wait a few months until computers with Windows 10 start to appear. I'd rather teach her 10 then start from XP to 8 and then to 10. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt.Crow Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Wot!!!! Not use Windows.. Sacre Bleu!!! How would I see anything at all on the internet if there were no windows on my computer. ? That's the response I got the last time I offered to help a guy move over to Linux. Linux has the reputation of being embedded in geekdom. Now who wants to be a geek of all things.. :hysterical: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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