Re: Major interview

[Trevor & Ellen Witt <tewitt@es.co.nz>]

I response . I bought one of those "Teach an idiot" book on using Linux
After 24 hours you were supposed to be able to use the system . . after 24
hours I had not even loaded the programme on . . Did eventually and still
not worked out where to go next. So I do not thinkit is only a matter of
perceptions . . some initial difficulties too!!
This was interrpted by lightning zapping my computer down the phone line.

I will persist as i want to set up a network . will use Win98 workgroups in
the meantime.

Will let you know how user friendly I find it!!  

At 04:02 PM 9/3/99 -0400, you wrote:
>>From reading through this thread I think I see some themes developing.  I'll 
>tell you how it looks to me, and you folks can correct me where I'm wrong.
>
>Linux is usable _now_ in K12 schools in a server setting.  There's nothing 
>technical standing in its way, only perceptions and the common hesitancy to 
>try something new.  I think this is a theme that Jose might be best to
advance, 
>with special note being made of OpenClassroom's Local Tutors program and
Bill's 
>LENPP.  These are ways in which members of the Linux community can get
involved 
>in education and support Linux at the same time.
>
>Linux provides major financial benefits for education over other operating 
>systems, not the least of which is the ability to continue to use computers 
>that can no longer run the supported commercial OSs.  This theme works best as 
>an advocacy tool for those trying to convince curious school
administrations to 
>try Linux.  Along with this goes the theme of open source development, the
kind 
>of peer review of work that is very familiar to the educational community.  
>This development model would allow any interested student or teacher to study 
>the internal workings of open source software and tinker with them if they 
>want to.  As someone said, the Linux and educational communities share similar 
>philosophical stances.  These themes are probably mine to address.
>
>For use on the student desktop Linux needs some work.  There currently are few 
>pedagogical or exploration programs available for Linux that would be useful 
>at this level.  While there are open source projects (which we support and 
>encourage more of) currently to address this lack, it seems likely that the 
>lack of these programs will slow Linux's adoption in schools.  We encourage 
>commercial educational software companies to port their existing programs to 
>Linux, and will be happy to discuss with them ways of making a profit with 
>commercial educational software in the Linux world.  We are generally 
>supporters of open source software, but we recognize that that may not be the 
>most appropriate development model for all niches of software.  Roman is 
>the best one for this theme.
>
>We think that much of the software available, both for Linux and for other 
>OSs, is more difficult to use than is necessary and that this is keeping 
>many from trying Linux.  That's one of the reasons we want to see high-quality 
>programs designed for children on Linux--because a user interface simple and 
>obvious enough for children should also be very good for other end users and 
>would help advance SEUL's goals.  On the other hand, we think that such UIs 
>could and probably should be adopted as alternatives for standard Linux 
>programs such as the GIMP.  We'd like to see kids using the GIMP through an 
>interface similar to Kid Pix, which could be gradually enriched till they were 
>using the full power of the program.  The same goes for word processors, 
>databases, spreadsheets, etc.  This is a theme we can all hit.
>
>How does that read?
>
>Doug Loss            Always acknowledge a fault.  This will throw
>dloss@csrlink.net    those in authority off their guard and give
>(570) 326-3987       you the opportunity to commit more.
>                        Mark Twain
>
>