[seul-edu] ISO project update

[Doug Loss <drloss@suscom.net>]

I just finished going through the Application Index and adding 
every application that either was written by or for a teacher or 
school, or specifically mentioned that it was in use at a school 
somewhere, to the ISO Phase 2 list 
<http://www.seul.org/edu/Phase2.txt>.  Some of the apps have 
websites in languages I don't read, so I may have missed a few 
apps that are used in schools.  Also, some of the listed URLs for 
some apps don't resolve; I fixed some of those when I could, but 
fixing them all is a separate, large task.

If any of you reading this message are project leaders for 
projects listed in our App Index, please look at the URL listed 
above.  If you know that your app is being used in schools and it 
isn't listed there, let me know and I'll add it.

It's now time to get on with the Phase 1 evals of the remaining 
apps.  We tried to do this informally a while ago, and that 
didn't work very well.  Here's what we'll do this time.  If 
you're willing to help us in this (it's easy; see 
<http://www.seul.org/edu/Phase1.html>), send me an email by next 
Wednesday, January 15.  In it, state what categories you feel 
comfortable evaluating.  I'll compile all the responses into one 
list and hand out assignments for the evals with reasonable 
deadlines.  If you aren't associated with a formal education 
institution, it would be a good idea (although not absolutely 
necessary) to find someone who is to help with the evals.  That 
way we can have a better chance of what we're doing fitting the 
needs of the educational community as it (rather than we) sees them.

In the meantime we can get started with packaging the apps we 
already have listed as passing Phase 2.  I need someone to 
volunteer to check the apps listed against Debian's package lists 
<http://www.debian.org/distrib/packages>, against DebianEdu's 
Metapackages lists <http://wiki.debian.net/DebianEdu>, and 
against the list of RFPs <http://www.debian.org/devel/wnpp/>. 
Anything that isn't listed there needs to have an RFP posted.  If 
you don't know how to do that, we can surely find someone to 
help.  (Right, Raphaël?)  We also will need people with Debian 
packaging experience to help create the packages ourselves, as we 
can't expect others to do _all_ our work for us.  I'm calling for 
volunteers for that, too.

That's it for now.  I'm waiting to hear from you.  I think we can 
get something very nice done fairly quickly if we just put our 
will to it!

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Doug Loss                 Courage is resistance to
Data Network Coordinator  fear, mastery of fear --
Bloomsburg University     not absence of fear.
dloss@bloomu.edu           Mark Twain