I am 70 years old.
Considerable experience with Excel programming (in VBA), some scripting ... but just a click and use Windows-er!
- nothing smarter than that
About 15 years ago I looked at Linux and the jargon (on both home pages and forums) was over whelming.
- I ran with my tail between legs.
Granted -- there is an element of "laziness" on MS/Apple fans to learn something new.
BUT Linux has to live with "what is" and blaming
customers for not coming into
the shop resolves nothing.
What turned me away from Linux (all those years ago) was the complexity of setting it up on a machine. Windows is almost tap and go
- and the one line (meaningless) answers on Linux forums, let alone find a forum that is newbie friendly.
- there was a lot of geek snobbery on various forums
Three years ago (I am still self employed) I got fed up with mediocre IT techs, and decided to fix my own Windows machines (5 in all, 3 for AutoCad)
At sevenforums.com is a member whs in his late 70s (an IBM programmer) who inspired me to have a go at Mint Mate.
Several things inspired me to give Linux a go ...
- whs youtube demo
- this forum (phpBB) is a common structure -- familiar -- I knew where to go and "look", and how to drive it
Some forums are so clever they out smart themselves ... and lose customers
- And then there are the (nameless) Linux forums that rely on a wall of emails .. in the first 24 hours I received 88 emails, of which 2 were responses to my question.
(Of course I am sitting around waiting for emails that amount to "junk"[!], because they are too advanced for my level of expertise)
I still back away from complexity, because around the corner there is probably another shop/forum who I can relate to.
- this Mint forum was busy, plenty of activity, and dates on responses were "quick" ...a very positive sign
- helpers on this forum were presenting a co-operative demeanor. Friendly, nothing was too much trouble
Newbies don't know a question has been asked hundreds of times .. helpers getting "shirty" about a newbie, should find another job.
(A lot of other forums are in a coma, with the most recent question 2+ years old.)
- The dedicated sub-forum ... Newbie Questions -- All Gurus once were Newbies ... made my first experience a lot easier, because I viewed Linux as all geek-world
In my personal experience one of the most successful forums is
sevenforums.com ... have a look at the bottom of the BoardIndex page
- a lot of guests and members, as I write 11,000 guests
- it is where I cut my teeth, soiled my nappy and learnt a LOT about Windows
IMO a large part of their success is
SevenForums Tutorials, assembled by volunteers
- most volunteers are older with decades of experience and then there are some very clever young people too, youngest genius on BSOD is 17 years old.
The first thing I looked for on forums.linuxmint.com were Tutorials
Personally I am still dabbling with Mint, experimenting when I have the time.
- I have had more success with left-of-field questions in this forum than with anywhere else
For my money Mint and this forum are an excellent combo, I would like to suggest "Tutorials" to tempt customers into the "free MINT" shop
- I would enjoy being part of the Mint push