2009/10/20 Dave Phillips <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:dlphillips@woh.rr.com">dlphillips@woh.rr.com</a>></span><br><div class="gmail_quote"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
Greetings,<br>
<br>
After reading the latest fanboy anti-Linux tirades on another site I<br>
decided to relate a little story here on LAU.<br>
<br>
One of my students has a 12-year old boy who wanted to build his own<br>
computer. Even cooler, he wanted to install Linux on it. I gave him some<br>
installation discs and spare parts, he ordered the rest of what he<br>
needed, he assembled the machine himself after referencing various<br>
articles on the net, and he just sent me a message to announce that he<br>
had completed the work and was happily running Kubuntu Jaunty. He even<br>
updated the mobo BIOS on his own, just to get the soundchip working<br>
correctly. He's also installed and configured the nVidia proprietary<br>
binary driver and is very happy with Compiz on his desktop.<br>
<br>
So I have to ask, when I read comments from soi-disant "Linux-savvy"<br>
folks who somehow can't seem to get their audio working (or even install<br>
the system without aches & pains) and thus declare Linux dead in the<br>
water re: audio work, are these people simply too impressed with what's<br>
really just a little knowledge ? Is it possible that they're really not<br>
so smart after all, and they just like to think they are ? I ask,<br>
because a 12-year old boy with no special background in computers just<br>
kicked their whingeing asses all the way from alpha to omega.<br>
<br>
Adding to his achievement he has convinced his parents to switch the<br>
family machines to Linux. He's now the only 12-year old I know whose<br>
chores include Linux system administration. :)<br>
<br>
Okay, that's all, and I feel better now. Sorry for the OT noise. EOF.<br>
<br>
Best,<br>
<br>
dp<br></blockquote><div><br></div><div>I guess it's the age of technology at work, not really anyone to blame. My 5-year-old sibling could differenciate between Firefox and IE when he was 3.</div></div>