Comment 15 for bug 778289

Thanks Matthew for reopening.

I agree it was totally rude to just dismiss it in that manner.

This bug is not so much about placing a simple icon in the launcher, is about the lack of any easy to find Non-online help for new users.

A help that is included but is "hidden" from the user that needs it.

Here is a "Real Live example" of what happened when an user didn't know how to get help to get online with an Ubuntu laptop: She dropped out of college and was basically forced to go with the issue public:

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2011/08/ubuntu-college-girl-dropping-out-laptop/

This was such bad press for ubuntu, and we have not learned from this experience.

This case may seem extreme, but is real. It shows what happens when an user cant find any type of help nor does ubuntu include any kind of tool to diagnose the problems (specially something as important as networking issues).

So as you see making help more "visible" is just a start, but Ubuntu needs this and much more.

Windows has great diagnostic tools, help, guides, tutorials, wizards, etc.
When things are not working it has a way to advise the user quickly, it offers visible help everywhere, Ubuntu on the other hand does not even offer basic help in a way that a new user will stumble with it fast...

This bug can only be marked as "No-fix" if its in favor of an alternative project that the designers may be working on for getting new users the guidance they need to getting started with Ubuntu and/or diagnosing potential problems.

But until that happens, the developers can do something now with what they have and take 5 seconds to make help a visible element again by including the icon in the launcher.

Most are not even aware that this guide is bundle with the OS. This should help solve that.

This is not only fast and simple, but once the user is advance enough he/she can easily remove it to gain that small space back.

Right now the launcher includes 3 libreoffice icons (which could be cut down to just 1: the libreoffice wizard), but they are just there so new users are aware that an office suite is installed. Once aware most will remove those icons afterwards. Adding the help back would have the same awareness effect.

Thanks.