On Sat, 2008-04-05 at 13:25 -0500, Les Mikesell wrote:
> John wrote:
> >
> >>> Idea: A separate Wiki for the new users. Don't have links on it pointing
> >>> external sites of how tos. Just have all the basic how tos; Burning the
> >>> centos cdrom in windows with a open source tool like Infra View, Nero,
> >>> or Easy CD Creator. Using the network GUI Config Tool for Dial Up Access
> >>> and DSL or Cable Internet and Local Intranet. How to add a user with the
> >>> GUI tool. Thing of this sort is like putting the iceing on the cake and
> >>> keeping them and not letting them stay to another Distro.
> >> Better yet, show how to do the same thing with 10 screenshots of
> >> mouseclicks and dialog boxes with the GUI or with a couple of command
> >> lines that they can paste from the tutorial into a command window.
> >>
> >> As soon as someone has to do it more than once, they'll start to
> >> appreciate the 2nd way.
> >
> > No they will just give up on CentOS and go else where.
>
> By 'doing it more than once' I meant on a second machine, something a
> lot of people have even for home/family use. In a GUI, things are just
> as slow and cumbersome every time, no matter how many times you do them.
> On the command line, if you saved the commands - or got them from an
> instructional listing in the first place, you just paste the same set of
> commands into a terminal window.
>
> > If, (a big if) I
> > were the Cent OS project Leader my biggest goal would be to attract the
> > biggest user base possible. I'm sure he's trying the best he can now. (A
> > Good Reason it is still around). Usability is everything. The is more
> > than one way to skin a cat yes in deed.
> >
> > In theory the known GUIs that work, the configuration should only have
> > to be done once and not a second time.
>
> Once on every machine. Every time you install an OS. And being a new
> user is a one-time thing.
>
> > Maybe I need to create GUI
> > Frontends that just plain out work.
> > As a side, note I do understand some things in Linux is not for the
> > Faint at Heart.
>
> One things GUIs can do is present a bunch of pre-set defaults or pick up
> the current settings so you only have to change a few particular items,
> and they can check the ranges and syntax of the entries before trying to
> apply them. Webmin does a fair job on this considering the wild
> variation in the applications it offers to manage, but you still have to
> generally understand what the application does and what the options mean
> in order to use it. A task-oriented tutorial using webmin might get
> people through some operations where they'd have trouble with man pages.
Case in Point Here Now: My sister has been using Linux for a year now. I
can see her now when I tell her to install Webmin, Open a Browser and
type http://localhost:port_number. Now that's getting into Admin
territory not the user base. Although that's a better idea than most
would concieve of.
When she needs something done that does not have a GUI or Pictorial
directions it's like me baby sitting my son hand in hand. Having things
of this nature is saying CentOS is Competent Enough to stand on its' own
two feet and not rely on the outside world for how to do something.
Ahh, there was mention of the User Documentation in another mail from
March, that for some of it I even can't make heads or tails out of it.
Some things still need a How To where it is in the User Docs or not.
>
--
~/john
OpenPGP Sig:BA91F079
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