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I have quit Microsoft for Linux 8 years ago. I do the remote administration of the computer I have installed for my old mother since 5 years. At home, there are

I have quit Microsoft for Linux 8 years ago. I do the remote administration of the computer I have installed for my old mother since 5 years. At home, there are 3 Linux computers, one of them has a dual boot to Microsoft. My cloud website is on baremetal Scaleway running ubuntu. During last year, I have spend more time for system administration on windows (that I use once a month to use an application during 5 minutes) than for administration of the 5 Linux systems. If someone asks me to help for the administration of his Linux machine, I would accept because it is so easy and so little work compared to windows. I think Linux is perfect for the noob who accept to delegate administration.

vanderZwan 8y ago
I'm happy for you and your mom! But you cannot compare that to the situation of my mother - I'm trying to make her more confident but it is a very, very slow process. It's not that I'm not willing to help, but I live abroad. If I lived close by, I would gladly install something like Ubuntu or KDE Neon on her machine (probably Ubuntu though - the mainstream would make it easier for her to find things on her own). Whenever I'm home I help her with her computer. The whole thing is very educational for me as an interaction designer as well. It often shows how modern interfaces make her feel like she is the dumb one, when honestly it's often the arrogant UI designers who think everyone is on board with modern UX paradigms. Or worse, abuse dark UI patterns for evil purposes.
- sammorrowdrums 8y ago
  Maybe try Elementary OS? New version coming soon. Really focuses on simplicity and UI/UX and being more intuitive for Mac / Windows users.
  - vanderZwan 8y ago
    I'm more worried about overcoming technical issues. UI wise I would have helped her switch to one of the distro's ages ago, and I agree that Elementary is a good candidate.
- reacweb 8y ago
  Ubuntu gnome is more similar to the "simplicity" of windows XP than vista, win7 and win10. The changes of windows are too big and too fast for old users. My mother is still on ubuntu 14.04 to keep this stability.
  - vanderZwan 8y ago
    Honestly, I just came home to see that somehow Bing search had installed itself over DuckDuckGo (my mom loved the search engine for the name alone), and that her Chrome browser had turned into a touch edition which hides the mouse cursor. And that was the least offensive change. Trying to fix her Lenovo Yoga I had to navigate a forest of dark UI patterns, with pre-installed apps trying to trick me into sharing private data every step of the way. I really fucking hate this user-hostile attitude that can only be explained by greed. I've "fixed" her computer one more time, but I think the next time I'll let her try a bootable Linux distro, and see if she likes it enough to be willing to give it a try.

vanderZwan 8y ago

I'm happy for you and your mom! But you cannot compare that to the situation of my mother - I'm trying to make her more confident but it is a very, very slow process. It's not that I'm not willing to help, but I live abroad. If I lived close by, I would gladly install something like Ubuntu or KDE Neon on her machine (probably Ubuntu though - the mainstream would make it easier for her to find things on her own). Whenever I'm home I help her with her computer. The whole thing is very educational for me as an interaction designer as well. It often shows how modern interfaces make her feel like she is the dumb one, when honestly it's often the arrogant UI designers who think everyone is on board with modern UX paradigms. Or worse, abuse dark UI patterns for evil purposes.

sammorrowdrums 8y ago
Maybe try Elementary OS? New version coming soon. Really focuses on simplicity and UI/UX and being more intuitive for Mac / Windows users.
- vanderZwan 8y ago
  I'm more worried about overcoming technical issues. UI wise I would have helped her switch to one of the distro's ages ago, and I agree that Elementary is a good candidate.
reacweb 8y ago
Ubuntu gnome is more similar to the "simplicity" of windows XP than vista, win7 and win10. The changes of windows are too big and too fast for old users. My mother is still on ubuntu 14.04 to keep this stability.
- vanderZwan 8y ago
  Honestly, I just came home to see that somehow Bing search had installed itself over DuckDuckGo (my mom loved the search engine for the name alone), and that her Chrome browser had turned into a touch edition which hides the mouse cursor. And that was the least offensive change. Trying to fix her Lenovo Yoga I had to navigate a forest of dark UI patterns, with pre-installed apps trying to trick me into sharing private data every step of the way. I really fucking hate this user-hostile attitude that can only be explained by greed. I've "fixed" her computer one more time, but I think the next time I'll let her try a bootable Linux distro, and see if she likes it enough to be willing to give it a try.