[sf-lug] Somewhat related to "Ubuntu 17.10 now out, etc..."

[Rick Moen]

Quoting Bobbie Sellers (bliss-sf4ever at dslextreme.com):

>     Seems like an extravagant investment of time in masquerade.
>     Remember he is using XP and continues to do so because
> he has learned to use it.  I learned to use Linux in just the
> manner described when I was in my 60s   Before that though
> I had used Amiga OS which was very simple compared to
> Linux but he has learned to use XP which is simple and
> has probably taught him some lessons.
>     Linux won't require him to manually defragment and
> optimize his disk and if you tell him that he will likely
> be happier.

It's extremely common for proprietary-OS users to contact members of the
Linux community and say or imply 'I'm willing to install/use Linux
provided it's simple, meaning that I don't have to learn anything new.'
The only outcome that actually satisifies these criteria is for the user
to continue to use what he/she already has.  

The ironic part is that this same user _does_ have to deal with
significant difference beween versions and between applications over the
years, so he/she provably can deal with new ways of doing things, but
simply doesn't want to.

Me, I tend to take a Taoist approach to these matters and not push such
users in a specific direction, but rather perhaps just talk with them as
they figure out where they are going.  ('A good traveler has no fixed
plans, and is not intent on arriving.'  -- Lao Tzu.)