[wplug] Kids can't use computers

[Justin Smith]

There's really nothing wrong with making computers easier to use, but you 
have to consider what society's idea of that is and how it affects us as free 
software enthusiasts.

Proprietary software is pushed in educational institutions, in the media, 
and in many other places. Some of this may be because it's genuinely 
easy to use. However, by accepting the sort of "convenience" proprietary 
software offers, people have become accustomed to walled gardens, 
proprietary licensing, DRM, and other onerous restrictions.

Most everyday people don't know that Linux exists. The Windows/Apple 
duopoly on display at most computer retailers naturally leads people 
toward either Microsoft or Apple, which is as pleasant a choice - to me - as 
supporting one major political party or other. 

Some people find the act of installing software too challenging. There is a 
host of companies waiting in the wings with "service as a software 
substitute" offerings that purport to take away the difficulty of, you know, 
owning things. Proprietary software is bad enough; now many companies 
are trying to phase out ownership.

Normalizing proprietary software and its restrictions, supporting lousy 
companies like Apple & Microsoft, and phasing out ownership are not 
hallmarks of progress. They work against the goals of the free software 
community. 

You can know enough to recognize these traps with a solid layman's 
understanding of computers. This isn't something as trivial as cutting hair; 
computers affects every area of our lives, which is why we should 
acknowledge that technological illiteracy is a serious problem and that 
many of society's answers aren't leading people in the right direction.

-- 
*Justin Smith*
GNU/Linux System Administrator

/"Any fool can use a computer. Many do."/