The call I never expected...

[liber-cogito.livejournal.com]

but sort of hoped would happen anyways.

I support an ISP that also is a major content provider. Windows/OSX only, as most are.

Little old lady calls in, must have been like 70.

"I brought my computa to tha computa guye, and he browght it back wif Lin-ux on it. Can I install $program on Lin-ux? Its not windowze, you see."
*mute* OMFG, ITS HAPPENED!!!
"Well, ma'am, what distro, erm...version, of Linux are you using?"
"I don't know, I'm not near tha computa."
"Okay...maybe if I say it you'll recognize it? Red Hat, Novell, Linspire, Mandrake, Ubuntu?..."
"Naw, I don't think so."
"Okay...well...what does it look like?"
"Well...there's a mouse in the corner."
"Okay, lemme put you on hold for a minute."

*confers with only other linux user in the call center, determines that she's using the Xfce Desktop, but still don't know what distro.*

"Okay ma'am...we don't technically support it.... but you can go to our website, and check email...and for chatting...well...there's *Linux based multiclient* that you might be able to find or have the computer guy get you... it is also possible to install from the Mac cd, but it takes some work, and that might be a bit much for you. But again, we don't support $Program on Linux, unfortunately."
"Okay, thanks!"

Comments

[reddragdiva]

First guess would be Xubuntu - I bet he thought "old machine, put the light version on."

[dagbrown.livejournal.com]

And really, if any ISP wants to get a head start on a certain kind of customer base, right now would be the time to start supporting Linux.

Actually ten years ago would have been, but hey, for God knows what reason, everyone seems to want to use Windows. Me, I want to see the ISP that supports only Macs and Linux boxes.

[angrykeyboarder.livejournal.com]

I'm no longer a customer, but back in the (pre Earthlink days) MindSping was very good when it came to Linux support. They didn't offer Linux software (but then who needs it) but they were great about helping you get things configuerd correctly in order to get (and stay) connected. And if I recall correctly, they had a pretty active Mindspring Linux user newsgroup as well.

[liber-cogito.livejournal.com]

People capable with windows don't use this $Software. Trust me.

No one on linux would touch it with a 20 foot cattle prod.

[angrykeyboarder.livejournal.com]

There are other distros that default to Xfce, but they're rather obscure compared to the Ubuntu stuff.

Of couse you can install Xfce after the fact on virtually any Linux distro.

[liber-cogito.livejournal.com]

I figured that after the fact, sadly, if I had given her directions on how to install *multiclient chat program* Quality would have eaten me.

[rounin.livejournal.com]

Banzaaaaaaaaaaaai!

[shifuimam.livejournal.com]

My brother is of the mindset that everyone should use Linux. All the time.

I love it when people try to force computer illiterate users into using Linux. No matter how you spin it, you have to have a little OS intuition to be able to use any distro, including Ubuntu.

Little old ladies should stick with Windows. :D

[dukesnorre.livejournal.com]

Eh, give them macs. They probably won't be playing any games, so they have little need of windows.

[shirenomad]

My grandmother wanted email, but nothing else, so we got her one of these. About as idiot-proof as you can get once it's setup.

[angrykeyboarder.livejournal.com]

For setup maybe, but not actually use it. Unless all these people are lying about thier elderly parents/grandparents using Linux.

[kyidyl.livejournal.com]

way back when (pre-current version) I got the same call from a kid who'd put Linux on himself. Red Hat, I think. (This was back when there weren't only like 4-5 major flavors of Linux, I think it was before Ubuntu and the other more user-friendly versions, and it was before there was OSX.) And he whined, bitched, moaned, and complained until I was like..."you installed LINUX. Why do you want to use $program??"

[liber-cogito.livejournal.com]

Installing linux is easy... getting it to work once it is installed? Thats the hard part.

[brothersterno.livejournal.com]

So, a few years back, there was a computer reseller in Brooklyn who would sell old refurb systems with red hat installed on them for REALLY CHEAP, and they would up a link to MyISP's service on them with our phone number.

Predictably, these were bought by people who, because of their economic situation, could not afford a brand new, shiny winderz box. The store did tell us about this, and they did provide a walkthrough for the standard setup, which was extremely helpful.

Now, imagine walking someone's ghetto-fabulous teenage daughter in Brooklyn or Queens through setting up their dial-up on a standard RH install because mom does not speak enough English to be able to do it. However, no matter how frustrating these calls were from a tech standpoint, the people who called in were pretty much unfailingly polite and helpful.

[ptstech.livejournal.com]

I remember back during my ISP support days, I got a call from a kid that had gotten a machine with one of the Linux distros on it (don't remember which one), and getting all bent out of shape because he was trying to configure TCP/IP settings - he thought the settings themselves should be different because "Ah'm usin' Linux!"

Nope, don't miss THOSE days not one iota...