[CLUE-Talk] kuro5hin.org || Are LUGs hurting widespread Linux acceptance?

[Kevin Cullis]

Jeff,

You're absolutely correct, but I was also looking at the other comments
as well.  As a friend of mine has stated, sometimes there is an
"elitist" attitude about Linux which prevents others from coming on
board even though it does take some work to find an answer.

Anyway, gathering info for future reference.

Kevin

Jeffery Cann wrote:
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> Kevin,
> 
> He makes few valid points.    He tries to say this:
> 
> 1.  LUGs have install fests.
> 2.  Because of install fests, Linux must be hard to use ...
> therefore, the acceptance of Linux is hindered.
> 
> Maybe Linux is hard to install or configure.  This is a whole nother
> discussion that has little to do with the presence of LUGs.
> 
> Unfortunately, he does not compare LUGs to other software user groups.  For
> example, Oracle, Sybase, Java, MS Windows, MS Office all have user groups.  A
> company I used to work for, Interactive Software Systems, used to hold yearly
> user *conferences* where users would travel to wintry Aspen or Vail to
> socialize and share thoughts about the software and the user experience of
> the software.
> 
> The history of personal computing was hatched from a user group.  Members of
> the Silicon Valley Homebrew club were the first group to build personal
> computer kits.
> 
> I would also argue that unpopular software no longer supports enough interest
> to sustain a user group.  So, by the existence of so many viable LUGs, I
> would submit that it is a sign of the popularity of Linux.
> 
> The fact that we like to get together and install Linux does not invalidate
> the acceptance of Linux.  I had been installing and running Linux for 3 years
> before I joined CLUE.  When I started Linux, I could barely login to a UNIX
> system, much less install Linux.  The same was true of my Windows 3.1
> administrator experience.