[plug] Linux training for home newbies

[Harry McNally]

Gregory Orange wrote:

> Perhaps "administrating a computer properly" is a pretty dry topic, but 
> that's life. If people don't want to pay someone every now and again to 
> fix a computer they don't know how to keep operating, they'll need to 
> learn themselves.
> (I'm thinking of a car servicing analogy, but I don't like analogies for 
> IT stuff).
> Of course, system administration of said machine may be a little off the 
> topic here. Are we talking about use, or management of, Linux machines? 
> Or something else...

  .. use or management of ..

Hi Greg

Your point is insightful in what has been an interesting thread; 
although Craig made many good arguments about computer literacy. 
(Craig's knowledge is understandable since he is both a past President 
of Computer Angels and has also has made significant technical 
contributions to the way our software and refurbishment processes work).

For the rest of the thread, I can't go over all of comments made but 
have a read through the transcript of a recent PLUG talk we gave:
http://www.computerangels.org.au/resources/plug2005.shtml

In there we talk about emulating how (many) non-tech people interact 
with a computer retailer.

After you've done that, here is something that we spoke about at that 
talk that wasn't in the script.

Some poeple have just never got around to sitting at a computer and, 
after being introduced, say "is it as easy as that?" and off they go 
continuing to self-learn (not unlike the people who populate the PLUG list).

We have other people that come to do our training course that can't read.

They won't tell you that they can't read but they are trying to rely on 
visual cues to _find_a_way_ to get on-line; to get to grips with what 
everyone tells them they "need to know" or they'll be left behind in 21C.

Pause for thought here.

But by all means continue dicussing why everyone should get down and 
dirty at the command line and needs system administration skills to be a 
competant computer user (and human being).

All the best
Harry