Need to convert someone

[rtgwbmsr]

Hi guys, I need some help. And it's in an area that you all rule at      

My wonderful sister REFUSES to use a real OS, and "loves" Windows. A true loyalist. Her computer never works, and even though this is CLEARLY the OS's fault (driver handling, etc) she won't acknowledge that Windows is evil. She won't even use Open Office because it isn't M$ Word etc. She has a hotmail account. Do I need to go on?!

And why bother converting her if she loves her OS so much? She can't possibly be so attached to something so messed up that constantly gives her problems. Maybe I'll get her to join the boards...

What I need from you are valid & strong arguments to convert to Linux; a smoking gun, preferably more. Really great ones though...this would also be helpful for the FAQ.

Calum, ExEleven, m0r, void main, psyjax, chaosforages (where are you???), creedon, even the Webmaster, everyone. If we can convert this one, we can convert anyone.

I thought about putting Lycoris on her comp and tricking her...she's not stupid though. Damn English/Journalism majors...

[ October 28, 2002: Message edited by: The_Muffin_Man/B0b ]

[zooloo]

I've found that pointing out MS are desperately worried about Linux, GPL, open source, etc is the best way in yet.

People understand that if MS are bothered then it must be a threat, if it is a threat then it must be as "good" as MS.

The best weapon against MS is MS itself.  

Good luck.

zooloo/bob

[Doctor V]

I think it usually takes a person who is so used to windows a bit of time before they learn Linux enough to like it.  The way you describe your sister, she sounds like the kind of person who would not give Linux a fair chance even if they tried.  And office software is one of the few areas where IMO windows software is still the best.  I say just remind her when it crashes and she loses her 15 page paper that your computer which runs Linux never does that.  Then wait till XP locks her out, or erases all of her mp3s automatically or somthing else that would piss anyone off.  Then ask her if she wants to learn somthing new.

V 0.8.7

[RudeCat7]

I think I know what would help....KNOPPIX3.1!

I finally tried it this weekend...IT ROCKS!!!

It is one of the fastest booting livecds I've tried, and I can't believe everything that is loaded in it!
It includes the Gimp, and Open Office , and tons of other shit!!!

This may be the perfect tool to make believers outta somebody....microsoft could never do all this shit on one fucking CD!

I didn't configure one damn thing for it to boot!

I didn't have to even configure the nic card, and Mozilla was ready to go to yahoo.com!

It fucking rocks!!! (yelling)  

[rtgwbmsr]

quote:Originally posted by Doctor V 0.8.7:
I think it usually takes a person who is so used to windows a bit of time before they learn Linux enough to like it.  The way you describe your sister, she sounds like the kind of person who would not give Linux a fair chance even if they tried.  And office software is one of the few areas where IMO windows software is still the best.  I say just remind her when it crashes and she loses her 15 page paper that your computer which runs Linux never does that.  Then wait till XP locks her out, or erases all of her mp3s automatically or somthing else that would piss anyone off.  Then ask her if she wants to learn somthing new.

V 0.8.7

Something far worse happened. She can't burn CDs...hehe.

[Master of Reality]

have you seen calums screenshot of linux that looks pretty much like windows xp? maybe tricking is the answer?
or
nylon rope + a water pipe + a bucket + a nail + two pieces of 2X4 + duct tape + an eyebolt + a little patience == a method to convince anybody to do anything.

[ October 28, 2002: Message edited by: The Master of Reality / Bob ]

[Calum]

http://calumsmusic.netfirms.com/ice-xp.jpg
and
http://calumsmusic.netfirms.com/ice-xp.png

however i cannot get desktop icons to work. Apparently i need to be running GNOME 1.4 (with appropriate icons and colours and so on) with icewm as the window manager to properly make it work like windows xp. even then, it won't fool somebody, not if they actually look. and you would need to get wine working properly to use microsoft office, or else you'd have to have openoffice.org (or abiword, or kword, but they can't save as .doc files), and unless she is too oblivious to notice the difference between oo and MSoffice, i think you will fail to fool her.

however it might be worth adopting the idea as a project, find out what themes et c you need to get and so on to fake windows as best you can, i'm looking into theming GNOME or KDE to seem like windows 2000, as i think i have hit a wall trying to make icewm look like xp, since i don't have GNOME 1.4 installed...

as for reasons why, i am sure you know them all already. windows is internally fucked. the kernel routinely breaches its own security just to allow more than one process to run (so i have heard) which has got to be trouble, plus it cannot be fixed, and retain any real back-compatibility.

and so on,

basically, the proof is in the pudding. until she uses it with an open mind, and until she sees for herself the political reasons not to use microasoft's stuff, there will not be much convincing her

[binskipy2u]

just get partition magic, make a small partition, and put linux on it.. just a minimal install...unless you have like 3-5gigs to spare, and dual boot it.. and just put her infront of it..and let her look around..
let nature take its course

[jrigby]

damn!!
calum those pics are so close its kindve scary how did you do it??

[voidmain]

He just needs the telletubby background and he'll be all set.

[rtgwbmsr]

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