I started asking myself questions
about Linux the other day. I began to think about what Linux lacked
that Windows had (trying to get into the head of a die hard Windows fan
and persuade them to think Linux). Certainly it isn´t appearance.
Windows is actually behind Linux in this area. Certainly it isn´t
detectability. Linux is also ahead of Windows in this area. Driver
support? Yes...big gap...but one that we as Linux programmers, developers,
and users are all well aware of and one that cannot be improved
drammatically unless manufacturers get behind Linux. So what is left?
Wizards. Wizards? That's right. Wizards. No, not the D&D
spellcasting folk...put your twenty sided die away. I'm speaking of the
nice trail of menu's that greet you to set up a function in your
operating system.
What makes menu's more user friendly?
Wizards. Setup your internet connection in a snap! Configure your
printer in a few clicks! Etc...so on and so forth. I know that some of
you are probably thinking "what the heck is this moron spewing!?" but
hear me out. I'm not saying we should make Linux become Windows. I'm
saying that we should cater to new users to make Linux more user
friendly which will in turn make Linux even more popular and
mainstream. What happens when Linux becomes more popular? Companies
will start listening. What happens when companies start listening? That
gap we were speaking of in driver support becomes smaller and smaller.
We need wizards! D&D need not apply. Sorry Gandalf.
I've
thought of projects I could start millions of times in Linux. I'm
usually content with just supporting in other roles such as Project
Management or Webmaster. Now I find myself wanting to become a
programmer to address this issue. But what language? What programming
language would work for all xwindow environments? This is a questions
I'd put to you, the reader. Mainly because I have no experience with
menu or wizard designing and I'd like to know. I'd like to know if it
is difficult and takes tons of time or if it is something that you can
do in an afternoon of work. Nothing get's me more riled than
hearing people get mad when someone suggests that Linux become more
user friendly. "No!" they shout. "Let them find out things for
themselves! I did and I'm better for it." Fine. Be exclusive. Rumble
off into your l33t Linux club and close the door on open source.
Or...perhaps you can understand that an operating system is something
that should be made to WORK FOR YOU. Not against you. The main
goal an operating system should have...ANY operating system...is to
become easier to use and more efficient. I say that wizards will do
just that for new users. As for older and more experienced users close
the wizard when it launches or push cancel. Easy enough eh? You don't
have to use them if you don't want them. I know, I know.
Perhaps I'm being crass and standoffish...but I'm really tired of
people not understanding the benefit of an operating system that caters
to your need and becomes more efficient. Sure Windows is a money hog
and is full of security holes. However, it is extremely new user
friendly with wizards for installing, removing, and adding hardware.
With this the case, wouldn't open source benefit from also having
similar functions as well? We don't have to make it 'just like Windows'
but we can make it friendlier than it is right? Perhaps you're
not convinced yet. Perhaps you're a die hard open source fan that just
can't get past your favorite Linux distro becoming more 'windows-like'.
That's fine. That is your prerogative and is your right. However, don't
trash new users who don't share your view. The beauty of open source
(in our case, Linux) now is that just about anyone can use it if they
have a bit of technical knowledge. I hope we can expand that audience
to include users that have zero technical knowledge. The idea? Let open
source and Linux become inclusive and not exclusive. Appealing to a
wider audience will never hurt Linux. To make things truly user
friendly, more care needs to go in to letting people know what is going
on with their operating system and how they can control it. A user
should have to be able to program in perl or C++ to tell what error
their music player gave them when it crashed. Things should be more
user friendly. The menu driven wizard will do much for making Linux
more user (especially new user) friendly. Hopefully, people will
realize this fact instead of criticize this fact.
www.linux-blog.org
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