Macedonia: Employees from 22 Municipalities Trained to Use OpenOffice.org

> without employed IT expert (system administrator). The trainings were held in Macedonian and Albanian language.

So the Macedonians and Albanians can learn Linux without an IT, but the American noobs need mommy to hold their hand and pin their diaper.... Pretty sad.

The article does talk about Openoffice, it doesn't mention Linux at all. You can run Openoffice on non-free operating systems, as well, you know.

> ....Pretty sad. Really? Does that surprise you? ;-)

> it doesn't mention Linux at all

Yeah, I did catch that.

> Does that surprise you? ;-)

Not really, but I still find it disheartening :(

Well, I guess 'murricans could just do the same. But in 'murrica and 'urope there's always ms around to hold your hands, so why bother.

Quoting:So the Macedonians and Albanians can learn Linux without an IT, but the American noobs need mommy to hold their hand and pin their diaper.... Pretty sad.

It is not that the Americans can't or need mommy, it is just the lackey IT writers who portray the Americans as such for some $$$ from you know who. They keep feeding us Linux is difficult and not user friendly. People believe that without attempting to find out by themselves. Most American are very trusting and believe everything they read or told. The American public is probably the most exposed to computers and have a lot more available to them than any others country, but the problem is that, we are brain washed and many of us are lazy and don't want to learn new things because we are big headed already. I think we are paying the price and will be paying a lot more.

> there's always ms around to hold your hands, so why bother

I don't know about that. If they had been holding my hand to help me with my computing, I'd probably still be using Windows. If anything, it felt more like MS was trying to hold my hand so they could molest me when nobody was looking. I've gotten much better support with open source software than I ever did in the proprietary world.

bigg: Aye, but that's not how the clueless brainwashed IT journalists see the world. And most LUG don't do much proactive non-viral marketing.

I won't deny that, but I remember calling tech support in the Windows days. The Windows XP tech support training manual fits on one page.

Randomly choose one of the following answers: 1. "I don't know" 2. Buy a new machine 3. Reinstall XP

LOL bigg, so true. Microsoft should be a RSO :D

Bigg :

You left out:

1. Driver problem, call the hardware vendor. 2. User problem -- if you were doing it right, it would work. Can we interest you in some training, consulting, or, at the very least, some billable hours?

> The Windows XP tech support training manual fits on one page.

Yes, but you left out 0. Reboot your machine. Followed by one of the listed options.

Aw, you guys are always picking on windoze and tech support. They have all kinds of choices, printed out phonetically in their native languages, including the sure-fire reformat and reinstall, which requires permission from the mother ship, which takes a few days to get your DNA sample shipped to them.

See, and here you talk about it like it's bad.

there's a huge credibility gap in the logic of how Americans view computers. On one hand they just have to get the latest and greatest win box, always with the latest MS offering. On the other, they don't want to spend any time or effort in learning how to operate the thing. They demand service for any little niggle, then, put up with shoddy service, unreasonable restrictions, insane licenses, and, a product that's totally substandard....

I'm tired of feeling sorry for the poor Windows consumer. It's their attitude that enables MS's criminal behavior, in spite of our substantial attempts to give them a viable and superior alternative. Against all reason, they continue to cling to the MS nipple. Make the interface dumber for them? Heck, let God sort them out...

>I'm tired of feeling sorry for the poor Windows consumer. It's their attitude that enables MS's criminal behavior, in spite of our substantial attempts to give them a viable and superior alternative.

In the general sense, I am too. I tell people all the time about Linux and OSS but I have to watch myself on how I present it and my attitude. I want to help people discover the beauty of OSS without getting all uppity about the morals of it.

"Keep it positive, keep it fun." That is how I try to be with people who are new to the idea of not having to use M$ software. Just because people don't know better doesn't mean that we have to feel sorry for them.

Basically I try not to feel sorry for them, I try to be glad I am the one that gets the opportunity to show them what it is about.

> I try not to feel sorry for them

Oh, I absolutely don't any more. My sympathy (at least for the moment) is exhausted...

> "Keep it positive, keep it fun."

Naw, put the fear of God in um! ):D

> I try not to feel sorry for them

So do I. Oh, and I stopped fixing their Windows boxes. Installing and supporting Linux is the only support I offer to them.

> I stopped fixing their Windows boxes

Yep, that too. Now I just chuckle as I tell them that it's not worth fixing and would only happen again. When they start to cry (and only then) I tell them about Linux ;-)