Tips for installing windows and freeBSD both.. anyone??

[Rob Farmer]

On Thu, Nov 11, 2010 at 23:16, Chad Perrin <perrin at apotheon.com> wrote:
> It sounds like in some respects we're violently agreeing with each other.
> On one hand, I think that CLI programs can be great for frequent tasks,
> especially if you have something like the Unix pipeline at your disposal
> to automate complex tasks, and that GUIs have some discoverability
> advantages; on the other hand, you think that GUI programs can be great
> for cases where someone does not want to take the time to learn a better
> way to do something, perhaps because he does not perform the tasks very
> often, but if you do something often enough it might make sense to learn
> a more efficient CLI-based way to do it.
>
> Another difference in our apparent approaches to this is that I think
> it's a good idea to favor CLI tools when at all reasonable to do so,
> while you seem to think it's a good idea to favor GUI tools when at all
> reasonable to do so.  We agree on the extremes, but not in the middle, in
> other words.  I just wish that we could agree without it feeling like
> you're trying to convince people they shouldn't ever bother learning how
> to use CLI tools unless they absolutely have to.

Well, I think to some extent we are considering two different sets of
people. If a programmer or sysadmin doesn't use the CLI, they probably
aren't very good at their job, since they are missing out on a lot of
tools. I was thinking more generally about end-users, who tend to be
very reluctant to use the CLI (the whole there's a big black box, what
do I do now? thing is intimidating) and it is usually more trouble
than it is worth to convince them to use the CLI, even if it would
make their jobs easier.

Most general computer users will never give up the GUI, because it
involves investing in computer skills and they don't see that as
terribly worthwhile - they just want to get started on their work. I
think some UNIX fans are reluctant to accept this, and in doing so
limit its ability to grow. That's my reason for preferring GUI in most
situations.

-- 
Rob Farmer