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Comment Re:aelig (Score 1) 95

While I full-heartedly agree that British spelling is the preferred spelling (you'll want to go for 'misspelt' next time btw ;) ), I can't follow your argument that there's any relation whatsoever between the spelling and the pronunciation of a word.

For an obvious example, look at 'to read' and 'I have read'. Or explain the difference in writing between 'to keep, kept' and 'to leap, leapt'.

Comment Re:Not new (Score 2, Insightful) 330

Here's what the Linux Mint's lead developer had to say when they did the same thing:

The highest single source of revenue for Linux Mint isn't the donations, it isn't ads on the website, it is the default start page in Firefox. This simple search plugin is estimated to generated from 2 to 40 times more money than the start page itself.

(source)

I know I won't be disabling this extension. It's a no-effort, free-as-in-beer way of supporting my favourite OS.

Comment Re:Fear of the computer (Score 1) 95

All too true.

I just sent a myspace link to a friend, because I wanted her to check out this band's music. The page told her to update her flash player. So I asked her: "Why don't you?". Her reply? "I don't want to install anything new anymore."

Before you chime in and claim she'd be helped by something like Ubuntu's update-manager, here's a story about another friend.
She had received an old computer from an uncle and wanted to use it to use it for e-mail, surfing the net and watching tv via DVB. I set her up with an Ubuntu system and she couldn't be happier. (Yes, an actual success story, imagine that. :p)
However, during the first two months she's asked five times whether she *really* should install the updates she keeps getting notified about. Despite me explaining to her they're security updates and that she's safer if she does, something about the updates really scared her.

And then there's this other friend who keeps delaying software installs of software she actually needs and trusts, because she finds the installation process terrifying.

These are all young people (between 19 and 26) who use computers on a daily basis.

Yes, most people are afraid of computers. They go by the "if ain't broken, for the love of God don't touch it" adage. And when it does break (most likely due to this behaviour), they'll find a nerdy friend to fix it for them. And install new versions of all their software of course. :p

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