On Monday 28 January 2002 2:02 pm, you wrote: > they just want to press a button and let the computer figure out what > the problem is, what the solution is and implement the solution. Self diagnostics...now that would be cool! > GUI/CL is irrelevant. I, as a _USER_ cannot spend time wandering the > menu system in search for the bold command, or move the mouse ever so > slowly over the tool buttons so I can read the tooltip and hope I get > the desired one... I just don't understand your argument here Florin. The bad thing about CL is a complete lack of "tactile" feel. People unfamiliar with CL look at that blinking cursor like a deer caught in the headlights. Nothing on the CL is visable unless you know how to access it. It's simply not intuitive. I find the majority of tools I need from an application are usually staring me in the face on one of several top-layer toolbars. > > Where I'm going is that the OSes that gain desktop market share will be > > the ones that let people learn as little as possible, get their work > > done, and exchange files with other users. > > Where I'm going at is that dumbing everything down is not a long-term > solution. In my opinion it is the inevitable solution. Successful products don't increase complexity for users. > Dumb users will be happy to get Windows on their computers. They don't > care about freedom (maybe they will care when it will be too late). They > don't care about improving Linux. They just care about _their_ problem. > Let them be... I do care about freedom. That is why I try to convince people to use Linux. And that freedom also includes not teaching everyone the command line when they are familiar with a GUI. I also care about improving Linux and the GUI is where Linux needed the most improvement for most users. I don't think I'm alone in that asessment. > PS: I apologize for my vent, but I'm pissed about all that talk that > fills web logs and mailing lists... If half of it would be spent doing > something (even if not related to the problem) everybody would be much > better off (including the DU). Do you think this talk is fruitless? As a Linux user and advocate I simply wanted other members opinions on this subject. You may go about your business solving problems 24/7, but I for one like to chat about things once in awhile. I appreciate your comments Florin...now take a deep breath and say "Calgon take me away...." :)