Re: Re: [school-discuss] Britannica

[tom poe <tompoe@renonevada.net>]

On Tuesday 28 May 2002 14:16, you wrote:
> Those out there that do not believe a port of Britannica should be done
> must also believe that WINE should be dumped... both allow the use of
> proprietary software on Linux. I have been at this for over 30 years, and I
> have found that one should use the best tool for the job, not a tool based
> on "ideology". (Although I must admit I did not start with this attitude.)
> Do not curse the darkness (proprietary software), light a candle (write a
> BETTER tool\app that is open source).
>
> KLP

Karl:  Calm down.  This is not about rejecting Brittanica.  This is about 
Brittanica "using" free programmers to build a proprietary version of 
software.  If Brittanica is written in Java, it is portable already to 
Unix/linux.  That's the nature of the programming language.  If they want to 
"port" it to linux, all they have to do is run the "package" code.  Since 
they don't, there's really nothing anyone can do to help them.  Now, as to 
ideology, just what is it about Brittanica that is causing you so much pain?  
Are children suffering because there is no way to access particular 
information?  I suspect the BETTER tool/app that is open source is already 
out there.  It's called the Internet.  And, a class that wants to access the 
Internet and gather reliable, accurate, up-to-the-minute encyclopedic 
information can do no better than to collectively report their findings and 
share their discoveries with their classmates.  Heck of a lot cheaper, too.
Thanks,
Tom Poe
Reno, NV
http://www.studioforrecording.org/
http://www.ibiblio.org/studioforrecording/
http://renotahoe.pm.org/