People are coming to Linux in droves these days. They each have their own reasons. It could be a desire to get out from under the thumb of proprietary software’s limitations, privacy concerns or just plain old economics. Some of them find a whole new world of computing happiness and others walk away frustrated. Why is that?

How you approach learning something new usually will determine just how successful you are at learning it. It’s all about attitude. Learning is a journey and those who cling to the fear of not reaching a pleasant destination usually quit before they start and stay right where they are. Those who are born with an innate curiosity and a sense of adventure often find that learning something new brings great rewards. Thus, they are constantly looking for new things to learn. It’s the naturally curious ones who tend to do well with Linux.

If you sit a child in front of a Linux computer, they usually just start using it. It’s an amazing thing to watch. Kids are curious by nature and they also have the added advantage of not having any preconceived notions when it comes to how a computer ought to work. I have found, on the other hand, that the hardest kind of person to teach Linux is the crusty old Windows power user. They are lost from the start and tend to get easily frustrated when they come across something they don’t understand. Their outbursts of anger can be quite animated! The Internet’s public forums are full of vitriol flung at the Linux Community by these sorts of folks. I learned a long time ago that the best way to deal with them is to simply ignore them. The psychological reasons for their bitter negativity are beyond my expertise to deal with, therefore, I don’t. What I try to do is focus on the positive and help folks who want to learn.

For me, the most important aspect of Open Source software is the freedom it gives users. Freedom isn’t just for those who crunch code, either. The average user who is just trying to do something with a computer benefits as well. I have helped hundreds of people to get started with Linux and I’ve heard from very few who didn’t continue with it. Many of them send me notes telling me how much fun they are having and how much more they can do with the very same computer that used to run a proprietary OS. This flies right in the face of those both within and without of the Linux world who constantly bemoan the fact that there is still software that is awesome on Windows and Mac that isn’t yet available for Linux. For many, it doesn’t really seem to matter at all, though. Once they let go of what they knew, they find new ways of doing what they need to get done and many say that they find the Linux alternatives simpler and more logical. Their words, not mine…

I didn’t really understand just how profound the power of Freedom was until I saw it in action with my very own mother. It is a story worth telling because it exemplifies my point. Here goes:

My mother had never even sat down in front of a computer until she was 68 years old. In 2009 she decided it was time for her to get on the Information Superhighway and so, with my help, she bought a shiny new Dell Inspiron small form factor desktop. The machine arrived loaded with Windows XP but since Windows 7 was the new movin’ groovin’ thing, Dell sent an installation DVD for the new Windows 7 as well. I was living far away at the time but I flew in and installed Windows 7 for her and got her going. She had her “Windows 7 for Dummies” book and off she went. I would get the occasional call from her with a question about how to do something or other and I would help her get it set up or fix the problem. I upgraded the RAM and replaced the power supply when a lightning hit killed the …

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