RE: [seul-edu] OSS for schools

["Worden, Bill" <wworden@ivytech.edu>]

Most people will find trivial problems with something new because of their
resistance to change, especially when they have to confront their dependence
on technology they really shouldn't have to relearn, such as word processors
or spreadsheets.  We're at a time and place where people know what they want
the computer to do but they don't want to spend a lot of time learning how
to do it, which is why Microsoft gets so much repeat business:  it's
familiar.  If you really want to implement an open source solution in
replacement of an existing system, you are going to have to bear the burden
of coddling the faculty and staff though that change until the new system
becomes transparent to them.

William P. Worden
william@wordens.net

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	owner-seul-edu@seul.org [mailto:owner-seul-edu@seul.org]  On Behalf
Of David Lloyd
Sent:	Thursday, October 09, 2003 7:20 PM
To:	seul-edu@seul.org
Cc:	redwards@golgotha.net
Subject:	Re: [seul-edu] OSS for schools


Heh,

>     We did purchase a few StarOffice books.  I wasn't particularly
>     concerned
> with the content in them, I just wanted a basic range of books available
> in our library.  Our users are at the simple end of the spectrum and as
> with many colleges, people like to complain about anything.  Being able
> to refer them to books quiets any such complaints quickly.  Of course
> them reading them is another issue. :-)

I hate to say it but if people can't work out how to use OpenOffice /
StarOffice then they really shouldn't bother with computers at all. And if
they're the ICT or IT staff then maybe they're in the wrong career ;-P

I agree: people will complain about anything. I did a largish installation
of KDE once and noone complained that Konqueror didn't work, that
Microsoft Word wasn't there. They complained that the background on the
desktop was awful.

*heh*

DSL

--
EducationaLinux 2004
 * http://educationalinux.adam.com.au/