Re: [school-discuss] Korea brings homegrown open source to schools

[Alec Couros <alec.couros@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Phil Carinhas wrote:

> On Fri, Jun 24, 2005 at 08:53:16AM -0600, Alec Couros wrote:
>
>  
>
> > > > My only concern about instituting Linux into all these schools is that 
> > > > you are mandating now what teachers are expected to use. 
> > > >        
> > > You mean like how MS is mandated in many schools?
> > >      
> > Yes ... that was my point. Any technology mandated in a school is a 
> > mandated technology. I don't think you actually read my post.
> >    
> >
> > > > I think it's great that South Korea has gone ahead and discovered the
> > > > economic and technical benefits of Linux, and I think this will be really
> > > > interesting to see local support economies benefit from this as well.
> > > >  
> > > >
> > > >        
> > > Poor school districts can barely afford software much less hardware. For
> > > them Linux and other free *nix systems makes a LOT of cents.
> > >
> > >
> > >      
> > Are you just supporting what I said?
> >    
>
>  No, not at all. Linux and other FOSS is not going to be a mandate in most
> circumstances, but a resource of last resort for those schools that can
> not afford anything else. It may be a defacto mandate, but not an
> official one. The real issue is whether or not they can afford the
> alternatives as well.
>  
I am not talking about MOST cases ... note this is about South Korea, 
where it HAS been mandated, and my original concern is that is IS being 
mandated.

>  
>
> > > > Still, when technologies are mandated or institutionalized, innovation and
> > > > flexibility can be be hindered.  What happens when the alternative becomes
> > > > the mandated, dominant force and the ONLY choice?
> > > >        
> > > That is very unlikely to happen, at least with Linux and OSX. MS seems to
> > > do a very good job of mandating with their incentive programs. I always
> > > wonder why people make the arguments of FOSS mandating when MS has been
> > > trying/doing that for a decade.
> > >
> > >      
> > Unlikely because...? Can you see the future?
> >    
>
>  Yes, I actually can.
>  
Not a surpising response.

> -Phil Carinhas
> --
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