Mike Nixon wrote: >I'm not sure that Windows is easier for them to learn than Linux. >Twice in the last 24 hours I've talked to people who have major >spyware issues because they use IE on Windows. And others I know are >swamped with SPAM. > >I think the barriers to overcome are: >1- Attitude about Linux/Open Source of: PHB, Volunteers, and Potential Users. >2- Getting enough Volunteers who can do the training/support/hand-holding. >3- What are the users needs/desires and how good (easy to use?) are >the applications available that do these things on Linux. > >Mike Nixon > > > I agree with you Mike. Can not even get any of the other volunteers even to try to use the Mandrake Move CD system or any Linux OS. Then the IT department of ISD197 is to busy with school computers and don't want to worry or do much for the computers at the activity center. The IT department installed reborn cards on each computer so "we" don't mess things up. So "we" behave our self's and do not bother the IT at the school district. Thankful with what we do have to help older adults with small problems like email and maybe once and a while a person comes in and asks to learn more about Microsoft Word or Excel. Don't want to "rock the boat", this volunteer work gets me out of a senior building where the main interest seems to be sitting around watching the boob tube or if there is a free bus ride to a casino, watch out you get run over by a stampede to the bus! Tried to get a computer interest group at the building (195 residents), not one taker, but know there are others who have a computer in the building and are complacent with what they have. I do wish there was something on the order like "our" computer center at Thompson Park for Linux. I am fairly new to Linux myself and could use some "hand holding" in certain aspects, but reading on the distro sites, picked up the book "Linux For Non-Geeks" by Rickford Grant and learning some from that book. Jerry . _______________________________________________ TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota Help beta test TCLUG's potential new home: http://plone.mn-linux.org Got pictures for TCLUG? Beta test http://plone.mn-linux.org/gallery tclug-list at mn-linux.org https://mailman.real-time.com/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list