making linux usable

"Um, yeah. Put it this way. When you're giving something away free, and people still don't want it, and in fact would rather spend money on something else, you've got a problem." ~FSJ

Perhaps there is some validity to what FSJ says about linux and open source (free source) software. Ok, I love open source software, let that be #1. I think that it's amazing that there are tons of people working on a single project together. One huge benefit is that mistakes are more quickly fixed, like Eric Raymond says, "Given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow". Although I love open source and everything, I'm not sure the large consumer market is really ready for it yet. I mean a lot of popular software isn't compatible with it and the EXTREMELY customizable operating system can be very daunting. There are so many setting that a person who is used to the "one size fits all" default setting of windows or the mac OS that people will think that linux is harder to use because they need to do more to set it up.

So what should linux distributors do? I guess the way to keep the customability (yeah I think I'm making that word up) and make it easy to use would be a series of wizards that will walk users through the initial set up. It's tough because then what does the user do if they need to go back and change things? Going into the system files can be a scary experience if you mess something up. I'll think more about this... Good talk, good talk.

And we're back!

You're right, my "strike" was just an excuse for my busy life, I apologize. Now I have a few moments I would like to react to the recent proposal for the Microsoft/Yahoo merge.

Microsoft struggles to keep its head above water so to speak with the recent trends. Apple is all over the younger generations for computers and mp3 players. Google has certainly taken control of the whole search thing. I don't really understand why M.soft keeps trying to buy into these little kinds of things once there is a clear dominator of a market. Google is good at what it does, people like it, why try to compete? Microsoft is really good with their corporate work, a ridiculous percentage of companies and governmental programs all use windows machines, why not just try to make that better and leave the consumer stuff to those who do it better? I mean there are always ways to improve a product or introduce a new service that people will like but it needs to be done selectively.

Microsoft needs to find its niche in the consumer market, and I'm not sure that they're going to find it with purchasing Yahoo. Though forbes reports "If Microsoft succeeded in acquiring Yahoo!, Chester argues, the software giant would be buying the e-mail, instant messaging and search information of hundreds of millions of Web users. Added to Microsoft's own Web properties, a "MicroHoo" merger would host 80.1% of the Web's traffic to e-mail services and 27.8% of users' Web searches according to the most recent data from the Web measurement firm, Hitwise". This could be a HUGE market for targeted advertising on Microsoft's part. It seems as though this is M.soft's new kick- advertising. If they plan on bringing in the ads they have going with facebook and the potential of knowing a lot of information from millions of users they could do something AMAZING.

I did find FSJ's point interesting that perhaps Microsoft is trying to lure google into a bigger battle. Perhaps we're not always so informed to the bigger picture with this kind of thing. Maybe this really was a good move.. who knows. Till then. I'm back.

I've had it!

I'm very upset. Recently FSJ (also listed on my facebook profile under my religious views) is being harassed by the Apple company. Dude, he invented the friggen iphone, have you heard of it? Let him be, he's writing about your company, in a good way. Have you ever seen his interviews about the blog? He often admits that he has a secret man-crush on the real Steve Jobs. Bottom line- keep on keepin on FSJ, and buzz off Apple, I'm on strike.