2 reasons not to use when claiming Lucid changes are bad

This blog is in response to http://humphreybc.wordpress.com/2010/03/11/its-the-little-things-that-count/

1: Ubuntu users aren't used to the change
I'm getting pretty sick and tired of the Ubuntu users out there that revert to saying that all changes that canonical has made to Ubuntu for 10.04 are bad "because Ubuntu users aren't used to them".  I don't really see how you can consider anything change unless something has ... well ... changed.  Yes, these same people that are making those claims are the same people that are out there complaining about there being no changes.

What's wrong with there being change for the sake of change?  I learned Ubuntu not by someone telling where every little button is, but by playing around with the UI and seeing where everything is for myself.  Even the typical egghead when it comes to computers knows that there will be a close/maximimize/minimize button somewhere in the top of a window.  Just because it's magically been moved to the other side doesn't mean Ubuntu's gone to the crapper.

2: Windows users will get confused if they want to switch
I'm kind of expanding on my last statement here, but it's not exactly rocket science here trying to find out where things are on the Desktop GUI.  I would imagine that most people that want to make the switch to Ubuntu aren't going to go crazy and get depressed because things "aren't where they should be".

I don't see the macintosh users out there going "hmm, I'm not sure if the windows users who switch over to macintosh are going to like that the title bar menu options are now right next to the window title" or "oh gosh, windows users are going to spontaneously combust when they see the close/maximize/minimize buttons on the left hand side".

The ability for the new Ubuntu user to use their common sense is something that too many people are ignorant of.  There is no reason that a single change made so far by the team at Canonical should be seen as something any new Ubuntu user can't get a grasp of with the use of a little common sense.

I for one am happy that Canonical has finally decided to make some decent UI changes to Ubuntu, because thats something that I get to look forward to on a constant basis as I test of the newest versions of Ubuntu.  There are too many lazy users out there that just aren't willing to accept the changes because IMO they have gotten into such a routine with their daily computer lifestyles that any and all changes are the straw that broke the camels back.

District Of Columbia LoCo Team Meeting Minutes 3-06-2010

The meeting minutes are as follows.  Thanks to crimsun for chairing this meeting!

Attendees: Magilum, bcurtiswx, lfaraone, kjcole, crimsun, throughnothing

[DONE] Magilum to discuss DistrictOfColumbia LoCo intent pending imminent Ubuntu SSO policy (02/27)

• No real contention based on non-regression (non-Free nature) of SSO/OpenID implementations

Local Community Activity Discussion

• Waiting to see what comes of OCTO's first DC Community Broadband Summit and Ward 1's request for computers
• kjcole handed out quite a few CD's at the Broadband Summit
• 
  
  
  https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-us-dc/2010-March/000995.html
  • [DONE] kjcole replied to Sanjay
  • [ACTION] kjcole will try to connect with Sanjay to hand off some CD's -- or maybe even make it to the lunch.
• 
  
  
  [ACTION] Phil Shapiro and kjcole to meet with Lawrence Guyot on 03/07, owner of http://ette.biz/ (Empowerment through Technology & Education).
  • Lawrence has space that he may be willing to make available for free, for "good causes" like Ubuntu events. (Space is the Woodner Ballroom. 3636 16th Street NW, Ballroom, Washington, DC.)
• [DONE] bcurtiswx updated wiki for March meeting notes and readied for monthly Team Reports

[ACTION] crimsun to blog about GC uses (02/27)

• Apologies: high priority audio bugs

[ACTION] lfaraone to follow up with meetbot owners (02/27)

[ACTION] Magilum to chair 03/13 meeting (03/06)

Ubuntu District Of Columbia LoCo Team Meeting Minutes 2-27-2010

Our minutes are as follows.

Attendees: Magilum, bcurtiswx_, lfaraone, crimsun

Apologies: kjcole

[ACTION] Magilum to discuss DistrictOfColumbia LoCo intent pending imminent Ubuntu SSO policy (02/27)

[DONE] crimsun to install GC and begin workflow construction (02/06)

[DONE] Magilum to look into officially adopting GIMP for the LoCo (02/20)

[DONE] bcurtiswx to create Wiki page for LoCo structure (02/20)

• Consensus reached on members carrying forth with ad hoc roles; no need to formalize with additional bureaucracy

[ACTION] crimsun to blog about GC uses (02/27)

[ACTION] lfaraone to follow up with meetbot owners (02/27)

[ACTION] crimsun to chair 03/06 meeting (02/27)

Ubuntu District Of Columbia LoCo Meeting Minutes Feb 20th 2010

Agendum

• 4:00-6:00 Ubuntu Hours Bug Jam in #ubuntu-us-dc on freenode
• 6:00-6:05 Roll Call
• 6:05-6:20 Ground control discussions
  
  • [ACTION] crimsun to investigate merging Lucid source packages using Ground Control
  • [ACTION] bcurtiswx to follow up about using GC to fix bugs
• 
  
  6:20-6:30 DC LoCo iPhone app discussion
• 6:30-7:00 Review and update of action items from last meeting
  
  • 
    
    [ACTION] crimsun to follow up with fridge admins regarding LoCo activities on Ubuntu fridge Google calendar]
  • [ACTION] Magilum to nominate packages for loco adoption
  • 
    
    [NEW] DistrictOfColumbiaTeam council formation discussion (see https://wiki.ubuntu.com/NorthCarolinaTeam/council )

Minutes

Roll call: bcurtiswx, Magilum, crimsun, kjcole, lfaraone (late)

[ACTION] crimsun to install GC and begin testing merging & bug workflow for Global Jam

[ACTION] Discuss Mar 20th more about Ground Control

[VOTE] dismiss Iphone app discussion

• Vote passes 3-0-1

[DONE] crimsun to follow up with fridge admins regarding LoCo activities on Ubuntu fridge Google calendar

[VOTE] DC LoCo to adopt GNU Image Manipulation Program

• Vote passes: 2-0-2

[ACTION] Magilum to look into officially adopting GIMP for the LoCo

[ACTION] bcurtiswx to create Wiki page for LoCo structure

[ACTION] lfaraone to get meetbot in here

[ACTION] Magilum to chair next meeting

[ACTION] Magilum to discuss Ubuntu SSO

Ubuntu District of Columbia LoCo Meeting Minutes 02-06-10

Weekly Ubuntu District of Columbia Meeting Minutes

In attendance:
crimsun
kjcole
Magilum
bcurtiswx

[START] crimsun opens meeting at 18:00 sharp
[DONE] kjcole finished redirect of DCTeam to DistrictOfColumbiaTeam wiki page
[DONE] crimsun posted last week's bugjam/LoCo team photos to http://www.flickr.com/photos/crimsun/sets/72157623317037372/
[ACTION] crimsun to follow up with fridge admins regarding LoCo activities on Ubuntu fridge Google calendar]
[ACTION] crimsun to investigate merging Lucid source packages using Ground Control
[ACTION] bcurtiswx to follow up about using GC to fix bugs
[ACTION] bcurtiswx to chair next meeting
[ACTION] Magilum to nominate packages for loco adoption
[END] crimsun closes meeting at 18:48

Thanks to all who attended

Ubuntu DC LoCo Meeting Minutes 01-30-2010

Ubuntu DC LoCo Community Meeting

Freenode IRC #ubuntu-us-dc

Saturday, Jan 30 2010 06:00ET

[START 18:00ET] KJCole brings meeting to order.

Crimsun: [ACTION] crimsun to clean up current DCTeam wiki page

Crimsun: [ACTION] crimsun to post existing Loco-related pictures to Flickr

Crimsun: [DONE] crimsun added bugjam and dc locoteam weekly events to Fridge calendar (awaiting approval)

Crimsun: [ACTION] Magilum to manage importing identi.ca streams to the dc locoteam wiki page

BCurtisWX: [ACTION] bcurtiswx will blog about this meeting (to go on planet.ubuntu)

Maco: [ACTION] interested members should sign up on spreadubuntu

[END 19:31ET]

Lots of other suggestions were made, and it was a very great meeting with all of the great discussions that went on.  It's good to see how involved we all still want to be :D.

We are going to be holding regular jams from 4-6 before our weekly IRC meetings.  Feel free to join us in #ubuntu-us-dc on FreeNode and participate

On that note as well, our meetings are every Saturday at 18:00ET.

Some bug-jamming fun from 16:00-18:00ET right before the weekly meeting.

Ubuntu on BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8326264.stm

Ubuntu on the BBC! Here is a short snippet from the article. There's a video in the link too!

Canonical is also making it easier to road test Ubuntu with a "live mode" that lets potential users run it off a USB drive to check its compatibility with the hardware on their desktop or laptop.

Evidence that it is being taken seriously can be found, he said, in the annual "10-K form" that Microsoft files with the SEC. Every public firm must file one of these to outline the market conditions and competitors it believes pose the greatest threat to its business.

In 2009, for the first time, Canonical got a mention.

Given that Microsoft recognises its success, Mr Kenyon is convinced that it's only a matter of time before Ubuntu's 12 million strong pool of users is joined by many more.

"We're nearing a tipping point," said Mr Kenyon.

WTG Ubuntu!