Re: SEUL: SOTs comments

[Jay Bloodworth <jay@pathways.sde.state.sc.us>]

On Thu, 4 Sep 1997, Graydon Hoare wrote:

> 
>   most new users have a very hard time with the idea of folders inside of
> other folders. It's also pointless for end-users, because they never have
> more than a few dozen programs and a few hundred data files. The fact that
> everything is data in a computer is going to freak out a lot of new users
> -- for instance the fact that by changing directories they go from looking
> at their personal correspondence to the system process table or the mail
> queue -- this is totally confusing. The options are to either come up with

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Users this clueless are simply
not the target for SEUL, certainly not for release 1.0.  Such users do not
install new OS's.  Such users bought a home computers so they could use MS
Word at home and so their kids could play with edutainment software
between rounds of 'Primal Mortal DoomQuake IX.'  Linux simply does not
offer this class of users what they want: software, software, and more
software.

This isn't a value judgement, it's just a fact.  For all its problems,
Windows 95 gives a lot of people what they want.  Rather than worrying
about a group of people to whom you can't offer what they want, focus on
identifying and serving the people to whom you can.

Jay


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