However, there is nothing to stop anyone from using the command line to do the same thing, which means your whole argument comes down to picking on the GUI which is dumb, IMO.

What do you propose? Should we prevent people from downloading DEBs or people from posting them to the Net? Both are absurd.

This “problem” is not as scary as someone who is trying to make something out of nothing and singling out Ubuntu in your title. You cannot protect people from their own stupidity. To try to do so is a waste of time as stupidity knows no bounds.

If people want to do stupid things with their computers, you can’t prevent them from doing stupid things.

Second observation that is for the average Joe User, the mainline distros probably already have what they want — installed. Most users want 3 things — email, web browser and office suite. Well most of the distros provide Thunderbird, Firefox, and Open Office. Adobe Reader even has FOSS based replacements in the repository.

I hazard therefore that the average user is safer. Having little need to go on the wild side they load up the distribution, set up the accounts and keep the system updated. Malware never passes the lips of the machine as it was all serviced by the provider.

How about we do not let users start using Ubuntu?

Oh man… As you know yourself, Rafa, worst unexpected error can happen by module which is located between chair and keyboard. You can’t change it, you can’t influence it. Just look at windows and all malware that is preading there. Application exploits are high, but it is higher issue using social engineering on users. Some of them can’t learn, because they are overstrained by computer usage, other just simply don’t want to learn further because they think they know how to use computer.

And saying users are our problem, is equal to RIAA/MPAA that every user is a pirate and they have to be controlled.

For your info. I use windows at home and i do visit “non standard” websites, but still i never managed to get infected/zombied :) It is question how users work with a tool called computer.

Alecs

The solution can only be educating users about deciding what non-repository software is trustworthy or not.

And, of course, having them look first in the repositories for software before trolling the net for third-party stuff.