Re: Major interview

[Doug Loss <dloss@csrlink.net>]

On Thu, 2 Sep 1999 15:40:13 -0400 (EDT), Jim Troutman <jlt@pivot.net> wrote:
>
>> OK, folks.  What should our approach be in this interview?  What things
>> do we want to emphasize, and what things should we stay away from?
>
> well, I think you would want it to be, in part, an article that educators
> could use in support of Linux in education (i.e. to show to their
> administration).  That doesn't mean it can't be technical.
>
I don't think it will be an article so much as an interview, but I agree that 
we should work in as much advocacy for Linux in education as we can.  Lets 
try to list the major reasons why Linux is a good choice for various 
educational functions over the alternatives.

As servers: serves files using their native networking protocol to both Macs 
and Windows; acts as firewall, IP-masquerade server, router, DNS server, DHCP 
server, email server, web server, or dial-up server for a campus network; not 
susceptible to viruses; runs on virtually any hardware including PCs 
obsolescent or obsolete in the Windows world.

As clients: help me out here folks, I'm too tired right now to think up the 
reasons I know exist.

> I think you would want to give them many real world examples of schools
> that are using linux, and what it does for them, and what the benefits are
> (cost, stability, features, etc.) for both servers and desktops.
>
A list of schools happily using Linux, and what they're using it for, would be 
quite useful.  Do we have any resource like that already?  Does GEO do that?

> I have used linux in K12 education for over 4 years myself, for various
> clients.  So far, entirely for server applications (squid proxy server,
> firewalls, DNS services, Samba services, Netatalk services, print servers,
> and so forth).   I know one district that converted all of their
> servers K-12 to linux last year, and they love it and haven't looked back.
> I know another that has started using it to teach C programming classes
> (students just telnet in from their Macs).
>
Give us names, so we can check them out and perhaps use them as examples, OK?

Doug Loss            Always acknowledge a fault.  This will throw
dloss@csrlink.net    those in authority off their guard and give
(570) 326-3987       you the opportunity to commit more.
                        Mark Twain