[CS-FSLUG] User Comfort & Change

[K Montgomery]

On Mon, February 14, 2005 9:05 pm, Don Parris said:
> On Mon, 14 Feb 2005 14:32:27 -0500, K Montgomery <keltik at nycap.rr.com>
> wrote:
>> Quoting Don Parris <gnumathetes at gmail.com>:
>>
>> > Just how important is user comfort when it comes to making decisions
>> > about changing software?  Some people make it out to be all-important.
>> >  I do agree that there is something to be said for user comfort and
>> > proficiency with current software, but do not other factors, such as
>> > maintenance, cost, stability, security, etc. play a role in the
>> > decision-making process?
>>
>> If the person who is "comfortable" is the one making the decision, then
>> their
>> comfort is, to them, of the utmost importance.
>>
>> I think that for the end user to switch, the advantages in the other
>> areas must
>> clearly outweigh the disadvantage of relearning.  When I bring up Linux
>> to
>> Windows-based users, often their perception is that it's beyond their
>> intellectual reach -- simply because it's not Windows, which they
>> already know
>> (and God knows they already have enough trouble with).  Believe it or
>> not, I've
>> seen the same reaction to Mac OS X (which almost looks like it was
>> designed for
>> a preschooler).
>>
> How subjective is this criteria?  To me, the advantages _do_ clearly
> outweight the disadvantages of relearning.  I seem unable to convince
> others that they do.  I never did well in sales, either.  But I can
> write and teach.  To some extent, sales is education.  So perhaps I
> need to pose my question differently.  Where does the convincing part
> come in?

Maybe the key is to communicate with people in their own terms, according
to their own needs.  "Your organization does X, Y, and Z -- Linux/FOSS
will help you do these things better, and here's why."  The reasons that
convince one person or group may be different than those that convince
another.  I think demos are valuable to show the user that with a nice
GUI, Linux is not as alien as they imagine it to be.

- Kathy