[slowpoke]

> A year ago the standard response to a new user inquiring about Linux was "install Ubuntu, it's easy, there's lots of help available. Go get 'em tiger." Now, Ubuntu is usually spoken of with a kind of regretful contempt.

True. I used to suggest Ubuntu myself (actually, I was one of the people who started with Ubuntu, now I'm on Arch).

I've switched to either suggesting to install one of the forks of Ubuntu (mostly Kubuntu or Xubuntu), Linux Mint or even Crunchbang.

[DanBC]

Good grief please don't suggest crunchbang for new users!!

Unless it's used as a transition for a clueful, but new to Linux, user who's going to learn a bit and then move to a different distribution. (Probably Arch or Tiny Core, if you're suggesting CrunchBang.)

[slowpoke]

>Unless it's used as a transition for a clueful, but new to Linux, user who's going to learn a bit and then move to a different distribution.

Exactly to those I would point to #!. By the FSM, I would never suggest #! to a user that doesn't already have a degree of technical knowledge.