RE: Free as in beer

On Fri, 2003-08-22 at 14:04, Ridgeway, Alan wrote:
> >If you find a bug, you are encouraged to fix it
> 
> Annoyance: The assumption that everyone who uses Linux has the skills
> to code a patch. If you do not have the skills, you are talked down to.

The distinction between admin, developer and user (and luser, which is
something else) has become blurred over the past few years. I hesitate
to blame this [entirely] on Microsoft, but rather direct it to the
industry as a whole.

I sincerely hope an more widespread uptake of Linux and other Free/Open
Source software would redefine this distinction.

> In reference to the "ESR chapter" we could add some of the following sections:
> 	How to get the most bug information from those who do not code
> 	How to be a non-assuming geek
> 	How to not promote non-geek Linux usage

All round, that would be immensely useful.

> While I can code admin scripts in various scripting languages BASH, PERL, etc.,
> do I not have a lot of experience with writing in C. Nor do I need to have this
> experience to accomplish my work. Hence the above statement gets tiresome when applied
> to everyone. If you asked a lawyer about a legal issue and he said well send me a rewritten
> section of the law that applies to you and we will see if we can get the law changed, you would
> think he was nuts.

Perhaps this is an indication that a vital geek <-> non-geek buffer is
missing from our dealings with computers, much as a lawyer is a buffer
between the courts and non-lawyers.

When people are no longer expected to do everything on their computers,
as they are not expected to do everything on their cars or in their
houses (they call mechanics, plumbers, builders, etc.), the quality of
computers and the computer will, I feel, significantly improve.

> At very least he really did not solve your problem. Unless you actually studied
> law and knew how to rewrite the terms in a legally accepted manner.

And if a proto-geek asked for help from a geek, the help received should
be different from the help received by a developer or a user.

To be honest, this is where I feel the business opportunities of Linux
lie, not selling distributions or providing mere 'support'.

Matthew

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