[NBLUG/talk] Linux for an AOL addict?

[thiessen at sonic.net]

Perhaps it makes me a curmudgeon, but I can't really see any positive
outcome to this experiment.  I agree with Christopher - if the user is
fixated on a particular interface and unwilling to try something new in
hopes of having a better computing experience, there's no point in trying
to get him/her to switch to Linux.  You'll just be stuck in the position
of doing all the tech support for an increasingly unhappy user as she
discovers more and more ways in which her new setup differs from her old
one.

OTOH, the rest of us on the list (presumably) don't know this person. 
Lincoln is the only person who knows her well enough to make the call on
whether the outcome is promising enough for him to make the effort.  I
know that I'm just projecting my own experiences with people so wedded to
their own particular setups that they reject anything unfamiliar out of
hand.  If (as I think Walter wrote) she just wants to keep her AOL email
address then perhaps it's not a big deal.

Does she just plan to buy a new computer?  If so, what's the eventual fate
of the "slow" one?  If she has a child/friend that she plans to pass it on
to, then perhaps you could volunteer to "refurbish" it for the transition.
 Then whoever gets it would be using a system with a fresh Linux install. 
At the worst, the person who got the computer will be exposed to the
benefits of using Linux.  At the best, seeing how her "slow" computer
performs with a non-crudddy OS installed on it might open your friend up
to trying Linux on her new system.

Justin


> I would tend to agree, a user with this mind-set will find everything
> they can find that isn't what they're familiar with and expound on every
> single one of them and will end up going back to Windoze with a bitter
> attitude toward Linux.  I dealt with this when simply trying to get our
> employees away from IE/Outlook and over to Firefox/Thunderbird.  We are
> still running Firefox/Thunderbird as a company standard, but I've got a
> couple of bitter users out of the deal.  Of course, these users can't
> put their fingers on anything that's actually affecting their
> productivity, but that doesn't stop any childish sniping or
> backstabbing.  Fortunately switching to Firefox/Thunderbird has
> significantly reduced the proliferation of malware on our network
> (negligible at this point).
>
> The type of user who is appropriate to migrate is someone who isn't
> stuck on seeing the same "pretty" AOL logo on their desktop and hearing
> "You've Got Spam!" everytime they log in.  A good prospect for migration
> is someone who is OK with things looking a bit different and maybe
> having some slightly different steps required to get a task done, ie:
> someone looking for true functionality and stability rather than what
> "everyone else" is using.  Indeed, most people will be understandably
> apprehensive at a switch, but some people react badly to change.
>
> Maybe with this person, the first step should be removing the perceived
> dependence on AOL.  If you can get them to make that step, the rest may
> come more easily.  I'd recommend enticing the user with the prospect of
> it taking less time to connect to the Internet (using a simple dial-up
> connectoid as opposed to needing to load Bloatware On-Line).
>
> As an alternative to using another dial-up account, perhaps suggest to
> them that they would save time and money switching to a decent broadband
> provider.  I won't start an argument about which provider to pick, but I
> do know that there's several ~$20-25/month options for basic DSL service
> (I strongly suggest against using a provider which uses PPPoE).  This
> would give your user considerably faster service for around the same
> price that AOL charges for a standard dial-up account.
>
> In summary, I would offer them alternative solutions for internet access
> with a cost/benefit analysis.  If they still feel that they cannot live
> without AOL, then it's not worth the fight and let them live in sin. :)
>
> - Chris
>
> Bob Blick wrote:
>
>>>Dual-boot will not suffice for this kind of technophobe.  If I can't
>>>provide EVERYTHING she expects from a Windows PC without resorting to
>>>dual-booting, she'll never boot into Linux, not even to save her own
>>>sanity.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>Hi Lincoln,
>>
>>This person does not sound like an ideal candidate for conversion to
>>Linux. Unless you like being blamed for everything different being
>>perceived as "bad" and "your fault".
>>
>>Another thing to consider - if you do get AOL working, either with a
>> Linux
>>client or WINE, AOL tech support will no longer support it, so you will
>>have to fix everything, forever. And be blamed for it while you do it.
>>
>>Best regards,
>>
>>Bob
>>
>>
>>
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