Should be titled, "Stupid Consumer"

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exploder
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Should be titled, "Stupid Consumer"

Post by exploder »

I saw this article today about a woman blaming Dell because she bought a laptop with Ubuntu as the OS. She desperately needs to go back to school and learn to read since she didn't seem to know that Ubuntu came pre-installed. Which one is dumber, the one that bought the laptop or the news agency that published this stupidity? Here is the story.

http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9667184
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 07, 2022 4:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
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FedoraRefugee

Re: Should be titled, "Stupid Consumer"

Post by FedoraRefugee »

However, we think we've helped her get back to school.

Verizon says it will dispatch a technician to try to assist her accessing the internet without using the Windows-only installation disk.

MATC also says it promises to accept any of Schubert's papers or class documents using whatever software she has installed.
whew! Well, that is a relief! What would our great country do without this upcoming star! I have no doubt she will now be able to obtain a 4.0GPA throughout her college career. :roll:
Fred

Re: Should be titled, "Stupid Consumer"

Post by Fred »

I just hope she isn't studying medicine. Can you imagine having a serious accident or health issue and finding out when you get to the ER that she was the only doctor on duty!? You may as well use your last energy to bend over and kiss your a-- goodbye! :-)

Fred
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NoClue!
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Re: Should be titled, "Stupid Consumer"

Post by NoClue! »

There are so many layers of stupidity in that report it's frightening. Every person or entity involved in that report is guilty of complete mental corruption. The managing editor to the sales hacks at Dell need a princess slap.
badmotor

Re: Should be titled, "Stupid Consumer"

Post by badmotor »

I'm absolutely dumbfounded. :shock:
phonic-at-work

Re: Should be titled, "Stupid Consumer"

Post by phonic-at-work »

That kind of story will sell large amounts of copies of windows to an unaware readership - I'm close to certain the story was propagated by Microsoft as they fear freedom eating into their $$$'s
FedoraRefugee

Re: Should be titled, "Stupid Consumer"

Post by FedoraRefugee »

follow up:

http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp? ... menu1362_2
Some Ubuntu users accused 27 News of "unscrupulous reporting," hitting a "new low for local news," and writing an "atrocious article."
I would not go that far. I would call it irresponsible reporting and not fully checking the facts involved. I do not think 27 news intentionally produced an biased, totally ludicrous piece, but that is what happened. They unwittingly placed themselves in the same category as The Register and The Onion. It is nothing but amusing reading that shows how stupid some people really are.

This is a good lesson to all of us about believing what is reported through the media. Many times the reporter will hit the nail squarely on the head, but often the reporter is led down a blind alley and ends up unknowingly making an @zz of himself. This is such a case. I am sure the school plainly states that it will only accept Microsoft Office documents as my distance learning program does. I would also think that her school would offer Vista and Office at a super discount for students. I payed $17 for Vista Ultimate and $15 for Office 2007 Enterprise edition with the only stipulation being I need to graduate to receive the license in my name. If 27 News wanted to do the responsible thing it would have simply found a way to install these on the woman's laptop.

The one positive that came out of this unfortunate story are the numbers of people who hit that page and linked to it! This should tell the world that Linux is finally making a splash.
exploder
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Re: Should be titled, "Stupid Consumer"

Post by exploder »

FedoraRefugee, you put things in perspective and the woman had alternatives.
FedoraRefugee

Re: Should be titled, "Stupid Consumer"

Post by FedoraRefugee »

93jam wrote:The news team is the stupidest ones in this whole story. They make ubuntu look like trash. This girl is stupid for two reasons: 1. She didn't realize to begin with that the laptop came with ubuntu. 2. She couldn't figure out how to do anything with it after it arrived. So apparently every little time I have a issue with Vista screwing up, I should just call the news and they will do a write up on why vista sucks? I think that news station was paid off by M$.
So do many others in the various forums I frequent that ran this article. I disagree. They are just one of those "feel good" super crusader reporting teams that try to find people having problems and helping out, not a bad thing in and of itself. But a line should have been drawn here. It was this woman's mistake from the start and it really was not worthy of attention. Go help some people without food or without heat. I cannot feel bad that this woman did not read what she was buying. Hey, I live in Florida, I have some prime land to sell her! :D Like they say, a sucker is born every minute. What is even scarier is this woman is pursuing higher education. Surely a college level student is capable of working through the problems she had? Then, to top things off, the reporter of the piece edited his stories more than once. Instead of just accepting that he had made a mistake he wrote a final cry in your beer piece defending his story.

Whatever, it is over. I think if anything it actually helped Linux out in the long run. Maybe Dell will clarify what they are selling a bit better also. Hopefully this woman learned a lesson or two, make sure you know what you are buying and when you find out it is not what you need grow a backbone and do not let the salesman talk you into keeping what you do not want. Lastly, I use this story to prove my stance that Linux is not for everyone. This woman needs to be using Windows. She is helpless and would be nothing but trouble for the Linux community. Even if she figures out how to use ubuntu on an open the app and save basis, what will she do in a year or two when the release is EOL? What happens every time she decides she needs a scanner or a new printer? Is she capable of learning Linux? Sure she is. But something tells me it is not something she will do. Better they had just replaced her OS with Vista and Office.
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