A new approach to Linux advocacy
Wednesday, 25. July 2007, 18:47:59
In the beginning I took every opportunity to introduce a new user to Linux. Soon the number of users started to outgrow my support capabilities, and I had to think about a new approach before I bite more than I can chew. I always believed that simples solutions are mostly the best ones, so here is what I came up with.
I decided to focus on few non tech savvy friends. They all don't need their PC's to do their work. They use it for entertainment, browsing the web, using e-mail, gaming. No photoshop, no deadlines to satisfy etc. I set up a few ground rules to follow.
I tried this approach already, and I'm quite happy with the results. I have much more time for each user, because I focused only on thoose few. Allowing the user to explore the system on his own, leads to situations when they contact me to anounce what cool software they found or what a fantastic new thing they learned. People guided by hand from the beginning through out the whole process get stressed a lot easier, they start to think that you do it because it is hard to grasp the system, if you give them a free hand they feel better because they know that you believe they can handle the system on their own. Most importantly they know that they can always contact you in case of an emergency. As for now I recieve much less support calls then before. Users that aren't afraid of the system tend to seek answers on their own, and call you only when they have real problems. It worked in case of my little experiment. After some time, you will notice how they get emotionaly attached to the system and this is the moment when this method really pays of.
Both of the users I choose for this experiment became very happy with their systems. Both of them are non tech savvy as stated in the beginning and that is great in this particular situation I will explain why a little bit later. The point for now is that you have a couple of happy Linux users that want to share their happiness with the rest of the world. Now is the point that you should step in and guide them. They are now ready to take your place but are in a much better situation then when you started. Earlier I claimed that it is good that they are not technical users. Imagine this situation, you visit a friend and ask him to try out Linux. He might have heard about it or not, he knows that you are expirienced in computers but he isn't. The most common approach of such user will be avoidance. He might assume that this system is to hard for him on the sole fact that you are using it. Now, look on this scenario from the perspective of our new users. They visit their friends, their friends visit them. Most of their friends are also not into details of computing, they just want to use it. Their friends see them using Linux. They talk about Linux. All of a sudden this penguin doesn't look so dangerous. Your new user suggests that he will help his friend install the system. You are only there for backup. If he asks you to help with the installation do it, but be there as a helper not the tech guy that does all the black magic for them. He has to install the system, just help him if you see some things going the wrong way - otherwise don't interrupt. You are there to make him feel more confident - not to take away what he wanted to do in the first place. In time he will feel confident enough that he will do the installs without you. Another important things is that he is the support for the people he switches. Not you. If his friends call him with a problem he can't solve - then he can always ask you, but never take away his support responsibilities. In time he will switch more users, just make sure that you tell him about the bigger picture. Talk with him and make sure he doesn't take on more than he can handle. If all goes well his users will replicate the whole process switching even more users etc.
Some of you might wonder at this point if all of this works. In my case it did. This "distributed" advocacy did wonders in my case. I started with two users. After a while one of them convinced his brother and the second one his cousin. They both asked me to be present at their first installation, so I was there. Then one of them had their wife switch and that was it for this user, he doesn't have as much time to support more but he still promotes Linux. He even did a presentation for wote on each sork in open office with a nlide that it was created using open software on Ubuntu Linux. The second user didn't stop with his cousin, soon his sister's PC also had Ubuntu Linux installed, and a friend from his school. They both have no problems in supporting their users and I only had a few calls for help. I was not present on the next installations, they handled it themselves. I had some calls during one of the installations but I didn't need to show up to fix things. Now the second phase kicks in, as I was told that the brother of the first user had some friends install Linux but I have no more details yet. All in all things look good. I have less users to support and they mostly handle everything themselves.
I decided to focus on few non tech savvy friends. They all don't need their PC's to do their work. They use it for entertainment, browsing the web, using e-mail, gaming. No photoshop, no deadlines to satisfy etc. I set up a few ground rules to follow.
- Before the installation sit down with your friend and try to learn as much about his computing habbits as you can. Ask what software he uses, how many people have access to the same machine etc.
- Choose one distribution or maximum two but they have to be very similar - in my case Linux Mint and Ubuntu
- The first installation should always be dual boot. If the user decides he no longer needs Windows, you can always remove it later - it's important that the user still has a way to do things the old ways if something goes wrong or there isn't enough time to find a workaround.
- Do the first installation yourself, with your friend watching the process, answer every question he asks and describe the whole thing. Don't be boring, don't make it to technical.
- Have a list of as many application alternatives as you can find. Focus on thoose you have the most expirience with.
- Teach the user how to solve common problems on their own, but make sure he always can get in touch with you to obtain help.
- If you get a support call/msg - be calm, get as much information as you can obtain. Never assume that things got to the point of no return and don't let your users think like that.
- After installing the system, let the user explore it. Help only when you are asked for it. Don't flood the user with suggestion for improvments. Let him feel at home and get used to the new system. This is the time whe he should install the software that he needs to get his tasks done. Give him the information he needs to install the software (name, where to find it, how to install it and how to find alternatives on his own) but let him install them himself.
I tried this approach already, and I'm quite happy with the results. I have much more time for each user, because I focused only on thoose few. Allowing the user to explore the system on his own, leads to situations when they contact me to anounce what cool software they found or what a fantastic new thing they learned. People guided by hand from the beginning through out the whole process get stressed a lot easier, they start to think that you do it because it is hard to grasp the system, if you give them a free hand they feel better because they know that you believe they can handle the system on their own. Most importantly they know that they can always contact you in case of an emergency. As for now I recieve much less support calls then before. Users that aren't afraid of the system tend to seek answers on their own, and call you only when they have real problems. It worked in case of my little experiment. After some time, you will notice how they get emotionaly attached to the system and this is the moment when this method really pays of.
Both of the users I choose for this experiment became very happy with their systems. Both of them are non tech savvy as stated in the beginning and that is great in this particular situation I will explain why a little bit later. The point for now is that you have a couple of happy Linux users that want to share their happiness with the rest of the world. Now is the point that you should step in and guide them. They are now ready to take your place but are in a much better situation then when you started. Earlier I claimed that it is good that they are not technical users. Imagine this situation, you visit a friend and ask him to try out Linux. He might have heard about it or not, he knows that you are expirienced in computers but he isn't. The most common approach of such user will be avoidance. He might assume that this system is to hard for him on the sole fact that you are using it. Now, look on this scenario from the perspective of our new users. They visit their friends, their friends visit them. Most of their friends are also not into details of computing, they just want to use it. Their friends see them using Linux. They talk about Linux. All of a sudden this penguin doesn't look so dangerous. Your new user suggests that he will help his friend install the system. You are only there for backup. If he asks you to help with the installation do it, but be there as a helper not the tech guy that does all the black magic for them. He has to install the system, just help him if you see some things going the wrong way - otherwise don't interrupt. You are there to make him feel more confident - not to take away what he wanted to do in the first place. In time he will feel confident enough that he will do the installs without you. Another important things is that he is the support for the people he switches. Not you. If his friends call him with a problem he can't solve - then he can always ask you, but never take away his support responsibilities. In time he will switch more users, just make sure that you tell him about the bigger picture. Talk with him and make sure he doesn't take on more than he can handle. If all goes well his users will replicate the whole process switching even more users etc.
Some of you might wonder at this point if all of this works. In my case it did. This "distributed" advocacy did wonders in my case. I started with two users. After a while one of them convinced his brother and the second one his cousin. They both asked me to be present at their first installation, so I was there. Then one of them had their wife switch and that was it for this user, he doesn't have as much time to support more but he still promotes Linux. He even did a presentation for wote on each sork in open office with a nlide that it was created using open software on Ubuntu Linux. The second user didn't stop with his cousin, soon his sister's PC also had Ubuntu Linux installed, and a friend from his school. They both have no problems in supporting their users and I only had a few calls for help. I was not present on the next installations, they handled it themselves. I had some calls during one of the installations but I didn't need to show up to fix things. Now the second phase kicks in, as I was told that the brother of the first user had some friends install Linux but I have no more details yet. All in all things look good. I have less users to support and they mostly handle everything themselves.
WIDGETIZE
Interesting approach and, what's more important, very valuable for others.
By anonymous user, # 20. November 2007, 23:58:30