How many non-techie Linux Mint users?

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redcarrot
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How many non-techie Linux Mint users?

Post by redcarrot »

Hello

Being one myself, I was wondering how many users are around who have no background in computers.

Is there a way to set up a poll?
I was thinking, replying to this post, but that would be cumbersome.

Maybe the poll could lead to detailed information for further UI, features etc. if we could know what professions use this distro.
(could probably be extended to other distros later)

This may have phenomenal advantages for new version developments, if we get to know what additional or specific requirements are for the 'non-techie user'.

Have a splendid day!
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Re: How many non-techie Linux Mint users?

Post by Mick-Cork »

Ok, in the absence of a poll I'm just going to answer. I have a 'techie' background in that I entered the IT profession at the age of 18. This for me, and probably most of a similar background, allows me to approach technology without fear. If there's a problem apply some logical thinking and aim to diagnose and fix it. A familiarity with the jargon also helps. Similarly, if I need to do something and the UI is intuitive it's an easy ride.

The LM UI is largely intuitive so its out of the box experience is probably good for most. In each release it evolves and generally improves. Where it possibly suffers is in a lack of documentation, i.e, a User Guide. This can mean a bit of trial and error when trying to find or do things. Some features are probably never even discovered.

I'm somewhat reluctant to point to it as I'm not a fan, but the Apple online user guide for MacOS is representative of what I'm thinking about. When you open it up it drills down into the key elements of the system, tells you what you're looking at, what these elements are called, and how to use / manage them.

Many still have a perception that Linux is for the technically orientated, and maybe this is true to some extent. But LM is probably one of the distros overcoming this. I anticipate that the recent update to the LM website will also attract more 'non-techie' users now as well. A good user guide would go a long way, so If I had to point at one thing it would be the documentation. As a distro I think it would give greater confidence to potential converts.

However I also appreciate it's not an easy task. It takes a skilled technical writer to produce work that is clear, concise and accurate, and that can be easily understood by any reader. It also takes ongoing commitment to keep it up to date.

The LM team have made a start : https://linuxmint-user-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/. If and when feasible, I think a technical writer/editor would be a good addition to the team.
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Re: How many non-techie Linux Mint users?

Post by RollyShed »

When I started Babbage's computer wasn't finished and Enigma was the "thing". Eventually punched cards came available for writing your shopping list on the back of.

Serviced PDP-8s, Data Generals. Owned an Apple IIe, DOS, etc. etc. and then a decade ago or so, Linux Mint
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Re: How many non-techie Linux Mint users?

Post by rickNS »

redcarrot wrote: Fri Oct 22, 2021 5:21 pm Hello

Is there a way to set up a poll?
Sure, it's quite easy.
Below the area where you are typing your post, (might only be available in a "new" post) notice "Options Attachments Poll creations"...."obviously" click poll creations., the rest will be fairly obvious.
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Re: How many non-techie Linux Mint users?

Post by Pierre »

from my observations, at least,
there is an considerable numbers of non-techie types,
that have then found the World of Linux & then found our LinuxMint System.
8)

there does have to have been an Reason,
for them to have to Start looking for Windows System Alternatives, though.
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Re: How many non-techie Linux Mint users?

Post by redcarrot »

Hello

The linuxmint system is beautiful and user friendly. That stands validated by the several positive comments on this community. I got introduced to Linux in general from a tech savvy boss I was working with years ago.

I have worked in the creative industry. For most of the time, the offices I worked in ran windows. Most offices had IT guys to troubleshoot. At home, you could connect with the friendly neighbourhood IT engineer/computer dealer for any glitches. The thing is, Windows is everywhere, and subsequently service, even though, paid.

Anyhow, I don't think the discussion here is Windows vs Linuxmint.

Recently, while tinkering away with an old compu
ter, I was looking for a operating system. I was fixated on Ubuntu studio. At the same time I discovered linuxmint. Initially the hardware I had was really old, so it did not support Ubuntu studio. That was good in a way and I installed Linuxmint. Now, having upgraded the hardware, I am still using linuxmint.

Overall the reason to migrate was probably a distro that could run several open source software. (Blender, inkscape, GIMP and so on)
The strong support community here has also been an attractive factor.

It's funny that not many people from the 'non-tech' user background are aware of this distro. I feel this has a lot of potential. (New website too!)
It would be nice if more people knew of this.

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Re: How many non-techie Linux Mint users?

Post by Michael_Hathaway »

Mixed I would say. Of course there are many maybe majority non-tech users due to the nature of Linux Mint. And there are also levels of all types of users here from beginners to very advanced programmers. I believe that most people enjoy the fact that their operating system isn't spying on them.

Linux Mint, in many ways, is a staring point and and ending point for Linux users.
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Re: How many non-techie Linux Mint users?

Post by Lady Fitzgerald »

Define techie. Is it only a professional working in IT? A hobbyist who enjoys tinkering in tech? Someone who uses tech but only desires to learn enough to use the tech but not tinker for fun?
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Re: How many non-techie Linux Mint users?

Post by redcarrot »

Hello Lady F

In this case, I would say the first one.
A techie here would probably be someone who is well versed in computers and knows in and out of how they work. Maybe a person who knows how to code, or how hardware works, or both and more.

To understand the intent, let's say there is a company, 'Linuxmint'. How does it provide a complete product for Mr. 'Average Joe'. I am a bit fuzzy right now, but I guess the intention is for this product to proliferate.

I myself am somewhere between the second and third options you mention. Even if I want to, I really do not think I can acquire the vast amount of expertise required to understand computers in depth. At some point, to be honest, I may not even want to, as my primary objective would be to use the system for other purposes.

Hope that answers your question.

Thanks rickNS. Funny I didn't see that (the poll option).

Have a nice day!
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Re: How many non-techie Linux Mint users?

Post by Lady Fitzgerald »

redcarrot wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 12:02 pm Hello Lady F

In this case, I would say the first one.
A techie here would probably be someone who is well versed in computers and knows in and out of how they work. Maybe a person who knows how to code, or how hardware works, or both and more.

To understand the intent, let's say there is a company, 'Linuxmint'. How does it provide a complete product for Mr. 'Average Joe'. I am a bit fuzzy right now, but I guess the intention is for this product to proliferate.

I myself am somewhere between the second and third options you mention. Even if I want to, I really do not think I can acquire the vast amount of expertise required to understand computers in depth. At some point, to be honest, I may not even want to, as my primary objective would be to use the system for other purposes.

Hope that answers your question.

Thanks rickNS. Funny I didn't see that (the poll option).

Have a nice day!
Question answered. Thanks!

For the record, I fall into the third group.
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Re: How many non-techie Linux Mint users?

Post by Samarian Sunset »

redcarrot wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 12:02 pm ...A techie here would probably be someone who is well versed in computers and knows in and out of how they work. Maybe a person who knows how to code, or how hardware works, or both and more...
Well, that's not me! I do however enjoy tinkering and learning.

I know enough terms that when I run into most problems I can search the internet or this board and find answers. But no way do I know how to do coding or IT pro stuff. Though back when I was on Windows 7 I would apply every tweak that I could find for more security and privacy. Not uncommon for a registry hack to cause a need for a reinstall...With Mint I just mainly use it and try to learn the programs that I use on a regular basis and that's because I feel Mint is near perfect as it is.
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Re: How many non-techie Linux Mint users?

Post by redcarrot »

Awesome samarian sunset.
I suppose this could be good information to build user profiles.
Thanks.
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Re: How many non-techie Linux Mint users?

Post by Ian Sheppard »

Me for one.

I have a certain amount of knowledge of the experience variety, and can now usually sort my way through most difficulties as I meet them - often after a bit of web searching. I was thrown in at the deep end in 1990 when I started a new job which involved working from home. At a team meeting someone who had recently visited our London HQ announced that she "had something for me". We unloaded from her car into mine an assortment of cardboard boxes - "your computer", she said. I got it all home unpacked it, and fortunately most of the plugs and sockets were different from each other so all I had to do was to find matching pairs. I switched on and got green letters on a black screen.

It was an Amstrad computer with Locomotive software. Eventually our organisation got a proper IT team going and we began to get training sessions, but it was all hit and miss, trial and error at first. I thought then, and till think today that if they wanted to bring IT into the outfit this was a good way NOT to do it. Once the IT people got up and running they were superb and the secretarial staff particularly came to rely on them.

I currently have Lenovo laptops with Intel i3 processors. I know already that they will not cope with Windows 11 so I shall continue with Linux Mint and Cinnamon until I or they conk out. Since I am now 87, rising 88, I think it will be me that quits first !
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Re: How many non-techie Linux Mint users?

Post by wxboss »

I think if you're interested in Linux or even have it installed and running, your're already a 'techie' of sorts. However, If you are referring more to a certain degree of techieness, this is easily achieved by anyone who devotes more time and effort into the world of all things Linux.

But that is not essential, just as your average Windows user will probably never venture into command line (DOS). The great thing about Mint is it works well out of the box for those who don't want to dabble with their system, but also provides the ability to do so for those who are intrigued/interested and want to learn more. :D
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Re: How many non-techie Linux Mint users?

Post by Tolayon »

Well, I may have studied computer science for a while almost 20 years ago ...
Just to find out that I completely suck at coding, programming and many other stuff. But it gave me at least some basic understanding about how computers work (there wasn't any computer science class at my "high school" equivalent (I'm from Germany).
Also, at university I was introduced to Linux for the first time, but I neither remember the distro/ desktop name and it didn't make me abandon my then still rather new Windows XP.

No, after never really workin in anything IT related, I am very comfortable using Linux Mint as my daily driver (Windows 10 was the straw that broke the camel's back for me).
But in VirtualBox I have managed to "ascend" to pure Debian, with distros like MX Linux as intermediate steps. But Mint still remains the most accessible to me, Debian always needs some extra hands on after installation.
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Re: How many non-techie Linux Mint users?

Post by _tab »

Ex-techie (if that's possible).

Used PC's from the early days of DOS, spent many hours designing and programming before XP became standard.

Bit fragmented but went into management 2nd/3rd line support lines teams, built several from the ground up including successful 24/7 Linux based group mirroring a ' follow the sun'' Microsoft team.

I don't know 'bash' or really much command line stuff but knew enough to employ the right people, and communicate back up to board level with confidence (everything's okay in the engine room :D )

So, here I am posting on Mint forums asking probably utterly mundane daft questions on how it came to be given it's based on someone else's partly commercial software (Ubuntu).

Good question though (I would post a thumbs up but can't find the icon lol)
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Re: How many non-techie Linux Mint users?

Post by MurphCID »

Me! I am very non techie, I just want a system that works. I really don't care that much about getting deep under the hood and writing scripts, coding, and such like. I just want it to work the way it is supposed to work, when I need it to work.
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Re: How many non-techie Linux Mint users?

Post by Portreve »

I first touched a computer in 1984, and by the time I graduated from high school a number of years later, I've considered myself to be a techie. Now a score and eleven (nearly twelve) years later, I still consider myself to be a technology enthusiast.

In the 1980s (and earlier, of course) and 1990s, there was scant "tech support" in the modern sense available. Either you became self sufficient, or you didn't tend to fare particularly well.

Commoditization has had some highly deleterious effects on the state of the technology world, a very notable one being that so much of the "fun" is gone. It's hard for me to see how anyone becomes a technology enthusiast in today's environment, since so much of it is about control and manipulation of the public.

For me, the closest thing today to what I experienced in the bygone days of my youth is the Linux community and the Linux environment at large.
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Re: How many non-techie Linux Mint users?

Post by redcarrot »

Going down the memory lane,

I first got access to computers at my College in 98. A freshly 'returned from America' Professor helped set up a 'Computer Lab'.
It was Air conditioned! We had to remove our footwear before entering. Ha Ha Ha!
I was so scared of touching the machines, thought they might explode if you pressed the wrong button.
So, I took up a course being taught by the Professor. Introduction to computers, Windows, Office Suite.
It was pretty elaborate I think for a novice. The thing I learned was, how to turn the computer on and off.
(It wouldn't explode!) :D

When I was in school in the 80's, I attended a presentation on Computers.
The whole presentation was made with a 'Pop-up Book'!
It had pop-ups of computers! There weren't any actual computers around.
Then in the 10th grade we had a 'Air-conditioned' computer Lab.
I guess in those times even an 'Air-conditioner' was so to say 'Cool'!

We were taught to do something basic. At the end hit Print/Run? Not sure.
Guess computers were not my thing after all.

Who knew that we would be spending the rest of our lives in front of these machines!

(I am) Definitely not a 'Techie'.
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Re: How many non-techie Linux Mint users?

Post by redcarrot »

Commoditization has had some highly deleterious effects on the state of the technology world, a very notable one being that so much of the "fun" is gone. It's hard for me to see how anyone becomes a technology enthusiast in today's environment, since so much of it is about control and manipulation of the public
Yeah Man, this has seriously gone out of hand, the whole control and manipulation thing.
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