The problem with Linux

I don't have a problem with Linux. That is a choice between every user and their OS- what I do have a problem with is the anti-Windows people. I know all the reasons to move to Linux, all the benefits, except for the most important thing of all to me that even the Linux people address -"Apart from time, there are no further specific requirements."
And BOOM!- they lost me. Because I have no time. Not one minute to spare in order to make everything I need to do on a computer work. And to those that do have time, I am jealous. You know more about the technology you use than I do, and that IS a good thing. But please stop trying to make those of us that have no time (and we are many) feel bad for not having the time. Yes, there are people who don't care or are not capable of working on a system like Linux. But many of the people that keep Microsoft in business do so to have more time- to spend with their kids, to work, to read or anything else that you can do in the 3 days it takes of searching on the web to try and find ONE person who has successfully installed a webcam on Ubuntu.
So to all those that might hate me for even writing this I say, "The whole world will use Linux the day everyone changes the oil in there own cars." When we all have more time.

Language

While reading the textbook for my Intro to Information Technologies class,
Shelly, Gary B. & Vermaat, Misty E. (2010) Discovering Computers 2010:Living in a Digital World, Complete.Boston: Course Technology.
I noted something that has occurred to me previously- the jargon the accompanies any specific field; economics, law, real estate, or computer technology tends to increase exponentially. When first you inquire into a field the basics are rather straightforward. With computer technology you get desktop, menu, & window. No problem-but one step up from that and you have BIOS, CMOS, & POST. GUI and spooling. OK, now I feel as though I have missed some critical intermediary step- like going from division straight to calculus! And there is so much vernacular that I really have a hard time believing that even computer guys call it POST. But if you are going to buy a house you need to know that FDR doesn't refer to the president 32nd U.S. president and HEL isn't almost a bad word.
If you want to know what they mean because you are buying a house or if you have a lot more time on your hands that I do- these are two decent sites- RE/MAX
Real estate Lingo

Catching up...

Wow has it been a crazy week. We traveled from Doha, Qatar to Houston, TX, spent a wonderful week in Houston, then my son and I continued on to Pittsburgh, PA while my husband went home to Doha. It's been a while since we have been in PA and since this is the first grandchild, lets just say today was a crazy day filled with ooohing & ahhhing. But I got to see my family, have a ham sandwich, & Ed found out that both of his proposed grants are being funded to a total of a hair under two million (not a type-o) dollars! Now that I am in PA time management will be so much easier, but the last few days have been worth the work I'm going to have to do tonight!

Kuhn book

Ok, this is more of a confession...and I apologize in advance.
I LIKE the Kuhn book. Everyone seems to say the same negative things about it; it's too dense, too scientific, no one can relate to the text or the examples, the author doesn't make sense. I 100% disagree on all counts.
Now before everyone assumes me crazy keep in mind one important thing-
my husband is a scientist. To be more specific a computational chemist. I made him read this book after I did. I find it utterly fascinating to have someone explain some of my husband's most basic hurdles to doing his job, i.e. theoretical research! It was like I held in my hands a manual to a large chunk of his brain.
And Kuhn does it SO much better than I ever could, but we have had debates that were rooted in this very topic. Me being from a background in social science & he of a physical science there is a lot of debate about how you go about research and even the way you think/ process information.
The one thing that really surprised me was the publication date- I was sure it was more modern that 1962!
So maybe this book is better for scientists, but it is unquestionably useful to the women who love them-
In case you haven't read it!

The beginning

Hello out there! I am a gal from the United States that has begun a blog as part of her foray into higher education after an (egad!) 8 year period of relative scholarly silence.

Just a brief overview:

• I currently live in Doha, Qatar, which is next door neighbors with Saudi Arabia


• I began the University of Pittsburgh's Fastrack MLIS program this summer My boys in Prague
  
• I have a wonderful husband who is a much better blogger than I am (when he has time to post) If you don't agree...http://www.qataristry.blogspot.com/


• I have an 11 month old boy; handsome & stubborn- he received the former from his father & the latter from me