[wplug] Kids can't use computers

[Dave Sevick]

The one thing that I feel is critical to all of the software that we support is:

"If you build it, you must support it"

Having said that, there is a ton of free software out there on Mac Linux and Windows that is quite good that has great support… And that is at the core of the user experience.

I think one of the most ambitious and fabulous efforts in the world right now is "the document foundation" and their work with LibreOffice.

Another tremendous effort in the world of free software is Google Drive in the whole suite of Google products that we can use with people all over the world that live on only two dollars a day or less but have a recycled Pittsburgh-based
computer.

Another great example is the "Blender" project that is both free and supported.

Bottom line:

Free + Supported = Computer technology at its best

-------
Dave Sevick
Computer Reach
sevick at computereach.com
724-779-0099
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> On Aug 16, 2014, at 9:25 AM, Justin Smith <justin at adminix.net> wrote:
> 
> 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."/
> 
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