[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: New member



On Mon, 27 Sep 1999 thudson@cygnus.com wrote:

> 
> I joined this list after the announcement on linuxtoday.
> I was a father of two until Saturday night, when my wife
> gave birth to our third child, a beautiful baby girl.
> 

Congratulations!!!!

> I am very much interested in software for children. I
> have a three year old daughter and almost two year old 
> son, both are already computer users. We have my wife's
> iMac, a win98 machine that no one in the family seems
> to like, and of course, a couple of linux boxes.
> 

Yep my 5 year gets around Windows 3.1 very well.  And my 3 year is
starting to be very interested as well (he likes the Putt-Putt series of
games)

> My family has accounts on my linux file server (even though
> they're not aware of it), as it serves my linux dev machine,
> the iMac via atalk, and the win98 machine via samba.
> 

My children (and their nieces and nephews have had accounts for years) but
they seldom if ever use them for several reasons.  Also my children have
there own internet email address' although they seldom get mail on them
(which is probably just as well)

> I've watched my children learn to use the computer, and seen
> the effectiveness of programs like Reader Rabbit. I think
> that some elements of the current state of GUIs are not
> well suited to new users and children. Things like
> double-clicks, etc. I've often thought of a complete
> desktop environment geared more towards children.
> 

See my comments regarding a theme for E or a complete Window Manager for
the X window system designed for kids.

> I've been in the software industry for almost twenty
> years, with experience ranging from designing and
> writing CAD systems, commercial development products, 
> and music apps. I'm also a musician, and contribute 
> to open source projects developing better multimedia 
> capabilities for linux.
> 

Wonderful!

> I dream of a complete framework and desktop for educational 
> apps, that would take advantage of the multiuser capabilities
> of linux, such that each child's account would record their
> progress for review by the parent or teacher.

Let's work on it together.

> Also the advantage
> of being X windows based means that cheap obsolete hardware
> could be used as X terminals, saving more powerful hardware
> for central file/application servers.
> 

Yep I've got an X terminal or two, I'd really like to convert the 486 that
Win 3.1 is on into an X server, it's on the home network but Win 3.1's
networking capabilities are so poor, it's almost as if it's not.

> I look forward to contributing to these goals. 

We all look forward to your contributions as well.

Sincerely,

Jeff Waddell
jeff@smluc.org


kidgames@smluc.org  -- To get off this list send "unsubscribe" in the
body of a message to majordomo@smluc.org