[clue-admin] [Fwd: Re: [NCLUG] CLUE InstallFest, 12 Feb 2005]

[skipworthy]

Crawford Rainwater wrote:

>>Hi,
>>I've a question concerning installfests, as I've been to two install 
>>fests in the past.
>>    
>>
<snip>

Guys-

I know the students she's talking about- not them personally, but this 
'genre' of new linux user. I set up a lab at CCD for a similar group of 
classes and students, and had quite a bit of interaction with the 
instructors, student aides and students. My impression was that in some 
cases, these students were new to computers in general, in the sense 
that they were still  getting comfortable with computers in general, and 
to throw linux/unix at them makes them even more insecure. I would bet 
that the conflict she's referring to (however indirectly) involves the 
expectation on the part of those of us who *are* comfortable with this 
stuff that if you come interested in linux, you already know something ( 
hopefully a lot ) about computers: And while this might be ideally true, 
it is not in this case: add to that youth and hubris which is native to 
the CS student, and you have a fairly delicate situation.  These kids 
need sublte handholding and patience. For someone who makes thier living 
at *nix, or who is totally at home at the CLI,  this *is* frustrating, 
and it's hard to give that much to someone who is still grasping the 
most very basics. It's  easy to forget how frustrating and mysterious 
computers can be. It's really easy to say 'RTFM'. No wonder she thinks 
these students are unwelcome.

Crawford- tell her this weekend I'll be there, and I'll be happy to work 
with any students who show up interested in learning.  Maybe she would 
be interested in working with someone ( I'll volunteer) to develop a FAQ 
or something for these cases in the future.

G