converting the heathens

**techieMoe** · 06-23-2005

Originally Posted by carlosponti

well here recently i went to rebuild an old laptop without question i installed windows on it for my dad. i dont know of a distro my dad can get on use and not have problems other than windows. he doesnt want to learn something new. plus my distro of choice is slackware and is way more difficult that windows to use and maintain.

Yes, sometimes we just have to make informed decisions for people without our biases entering in. I'd love nothing more than to have all my friends (and my g/f) use Linux, but I know that some of them (like my g/f) simply can't make that switch at this point. Therefore I certainly answer any curious questions they have and I'll even help them set up a test rig to play with it, but I'm not going to recommend or push them to swap their main OS until I'm sure they're ready.

**carlosponti** · 06-23-2005

i recently got married and my new bride is when in the living room using my slackware box to surf the internet and check her email. man i got a great wife

now if i could get her on that in her main PC. by getting married i added another Pc to my network.

**Workaphobia** · 06-23-2005

The valedictorian of my class is in computer hell and does not care.

Previously, the idea that someone could be truely ignorant of computers - that someone could live in this age using a computer for nothing more than word processing (and in his case floods of porn) - was just totally alien to me. Sure, I heard stories of these mysterious people who did not change their desktop background or did not differentiate the concepts of software and hardware, but I didn't think they really existed; I thought they were just tales told on rinkworks and rant journals.

Anyway, we got him on linux because his windows harddrive was abominably slow and absolutely FUBAR'd (seriously, we even got an error message that could display no text). I don't really blame windows for this entirely - he's got some sort of reverse Midas touch. But once he was on knoppix and later suse, he could browse the web, instant message, and use open office, so he was happy.

Then his harddrive crashed. Or maybe the IDE controller, or the cable for all we know. He still hasn't called us over to help him out yet, and apparently is doing fine without a computer in the house. O_o

**Muser** · 06-23-2005

I've converted 2 people, one which is very happy with the change, the other is just content. Currently have 3 others lined up and waiting to switch, but I need to find some free time to help them out (and a ride).

**benjamin20** · 06-23-2005

ive tried to convince people of the good of linx.but some people just dont know how to change. if your a hevy duty gamer. then windows id for you. if you just need something to be there when you need it without you setting it up. windows is for you. if you need security than thre is just no excuse not to use linux or macosx. now if you go arond complaining about virii and spyware than you realy should be in some form of linux. it just makes sense. virii and spyware is just part of windows living. its how it was built. it was made to be easy and compatible and easy to program for. unfortunatly its easy and compatible and easy to program for.

the thing that realy bothers me is when people ask if it does that one thing that it doesnt. and stick tothat as there excuse. even though they are complain ing about a million other things about windows, this one stupid little thing that they dont even realy need s there excuse for not switching. cmon, if you are too scared to make the switch, just come right out and say it, dont make up excuses.

**d38dm8nw81k1ng** · 06-23-2005

Originally Posted by Morgoth

only when i left did i contemplate the stupidity of that statement.

What is the stupidity of that statement?

that he wanted to get hacked. the full quote is: "let those losers hack my computer!" i said (extreme i know) "what if they used your computer to rob a bank or something?" he says: "no-one would do that". i've just remembered that a lot of people think that hackers have better things to do that hack luser's computers. might ask those people why they create virii... see what there response is...

**d38dm8nw81k1ng** · 06-23-2005

Originally Posted by benjamin20

ive tried to convince people of the good of linx.but some people just dont know how to change. if your a hevy duty gamer. then windows id for you. if you just need something to be there when you need it without you setting it up. windows is for you. if you need security than thre is just no excuse not to use linux or macosx. now if you go arond complaining about virii and spyware than you realy should be in some form of linux. it just makes sense. virii and spyware is just part of windows living. its how it was built. it was made to be easy and compatible and easy to program for. unfortunatly its easy and compatible and easy to program for.

the thing that realy bothers me is when people ask if it does that one thing that it doesnt. and stick tothat as there excuse. even though they are complain ing about a million other things about windows, this one stupid little thing that they dont even realy need s there excuse for not switching. cmon, if you are too scared to make the switch, just come right out and say it, dont make up excuses.

the gaming was my stumbling block and the reason i was afraid to switch, but i found out doom 3 had binaries available for linux (on this forum). my mind was made up at that moment.

**cayalee** · 06-23-2005

ive succesfully converted my sis over to linux from windows as it seems she had a fetish for p2p stuff and web gaming, and with it brought a whole host of virii and spyware and the stuff. after numerous warning and reformats, the situation didnt improve and as i was going to uni and wouldnt be around to fix it, i SuSE'd em up

mum still needs work tho as she refuses to do any work on it (uses the windows machine at work) but occasionally uses the net at home.
other than family, i've had disastrous results with trying to convert people, they usually get angry with 'this useless piece of crap, its so easy in windows' so ive given up now, and dont fix other peoples PC's. just let em know they have alternatives. if they care enough, they'll do what everyone here has done.

**benjamin20** · 06-23-2005

doom 3 might have been your reason for sticking with windows, but where you whining about it being so unsecure while holding onto doom 3 as your only excuse? just for doom 3 you could have dual booted. your story isnt exactly fitting in with what i was explaining. you had a legit reson. im talking about people who practicly make up a reason.

**GNU_man** · 06-24-2005

I gave up arguing with Windows users. If they are genuinely satisfied, I don't bother them. If they are interested in something new, and are patient enough to learn, then I am happy to help them.

Same here. I don't argue at all, i just inform them that there IS other OS's, Linux just being one popular choice. If they are happy with Windows and it does everything that they want it to, then what possible reason could they have to switch?

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