[school-discuss] License Flipping

[knowtree@xxxxxxxxx]

Richard Andrews <bbmaj7@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> The school system in Australia is ruled by Microsoft due to
whole-of-department
> agreements and a lack of understanding of anti-trust issues. As a result
> bringing linux in on the desktop is pretty much a non-starter.

(I changed the subject line to re-focus.)

This licensing strategy is not unusual in large organizations. The real
benefit is elimination of the need for detailed inventory records and
inspections looking for unlicenced copies. Call it a promise not to sue.
Call it a shakedown racket.

Given this situation it seems unlikely that such an organization would be
attracted to the cost savings aspect of FOSS. But that assumes only a
limited use of FOSS. Seems to me that success will require a nearly 100%
conversion, a "flip" in operating system environment.

I see a number of obstacles in the way. First, as Richard points out, there
is teacher training. Then comes support. But we know how to do the training
piece, and the support piece. Harder to overcome will be those applications
that current teachers and administrators are married to. A particular
foreign language program, for instance. Or s records keeping application
required for the larger Special Ed program. 

I suggest we look around and identify as many of these sacred cows as
possible, and pool the results here. Then we can all contribute ideas for
alternative FOSS solutions.

Gary Dunn
Open Slate Project
http://openslate.net


> 
> Anecdotes related to be indicate a general lack of commitment and project
> undermining/sabotage by teaching staff leads to failure in trials that go too
> far too quickly. As a result I want to get to a point where the staff can see
> linux and Windows running side by side and come to their own conclusion that
> "hey this Windows stuff really sucks compared to linux".
> 
> Anyway, it's all about the apps and webapps are easier to deploy because they
> can comfortably drive them from IE. Open source webapps have a particular
value
> for money driver and open source webapps for administrators are gold because
> you can get buy-in and even forward momentum from the school
administrators who
> are usually hostile to change.
> 
> OT: Noticing your domain, I think I had an aloha.com account when I lived out
> in Pololo valley some years back.
> 
> 
> --- knowtree@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
> > > I think this is a bit heavy for our target audience - although I have to
> > say,
> > > on first reading I'm unsure what the goals of openslate actually are.
> > 
> > Total integration of IT with curriculum and learning activities rather than
> > IT as a subject of study or a replacement for a typewriter. Open-Source
> > softwae and courseware as an alternative to commercial textbooks and
> > educational software. A collection of resources driven by the user
> > community, providing what the community wants.
> > 
> >  
> > > We're looking at approaching the subject based on introducing web apps
> > first;
> > > show educators what powerful OSS applications exist. 
> > 
> > Some really good stuff are not web apps. Tux Paint, for example. And if
> > your target is older kids, there is The Gimp.
> > 
> > > Part of the training would
> > > be to promote OSS ideas and resources; but that would be secondary
because
> > > expousing ideologies often turns people away.
> > 
> > True, yet you need to create a context. You need to convince the good
> > people of River City that they have a problem in order to get them
> > interested in starting up a band. You need to do the feature-benefit thing.
> >  You may be excited that Moodle is FOSS, or that it is a web app, but those
> > other folks in the room won't even know how to interpret this information.
> > FOSS ideology may not be what you want, but you still need a context.
> > 
> > As for "heavy," well, if that's the way my writing sounds, and that's a
> > problem, I apologize, because I do not mean it that way. What I want is for
> > people to feel comfortable about getting involved with Open Slate and Chalk
> > Dusk. That is why I set up the wiki, to promote participation. Come on in
> > and check it out.
> > 
> > Gary Dunn
> > Open Slate Project
> > http://openslate.net
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> 
> 
> 
>       Get the name you always wanted with the new y7mail email address.
> www.yahoo7.com.au/y7mail
> 
> 
> 
>