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Re: [school-discuss] Presentation for local SD - beware the FUD



--- Guido Arnold <watsolldat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> >    * Use the term Open Source in preference to FOSS or Free Software
> 
> >          o Free Software has the word free, see zero-cost above
> 
> One remark in the beginning that when you speak of Free Software, you
> mean free as in freedom, not as in free beer, will solve the issue.
> 
> Most of the following arguments depend on the freedom to use, share
> and modify. If you don't have these freedoms, you can not freely
> cooperate with other schools etc.. Why shouldn't we mention it?


I'm not a presenter (yet) but I have been collating experiences from those who
have been doing this. What I am hearing is that school administrations are not
interested in discussing philosophy but rather want to focus on functionality
and value.

At least on the initial approach the term "free" has all the wrong conotations.
The philosophy of freedoms make perfect sense to you and I but a school
administrator must be focused on results, costs and risks. Anything that sounds
radical or unstable raises the Risk flag.

I would suggest to focus on what OSS can do functionally, the stability of the
support base, the certainty of availability into the future, certainty of cost
into the future, etc. Stability, certainty, permanence, support, user-base:
these concept help cancel the fear of risk. FUD is a powerful weapon when used
on decision makers.

--
  Rich



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