Kids Games and Linux

[Jeffery Douglas Waddell <jeff@smluc.org>]

Hello all,

Doug Loss recently introduced me to the SEUL-EDU list.  I was not aware of
your efforts in the educational field and look forward to working with as
many of you as possible on my own endeavor, see the attached rant/project
announcement ;)

I've not as of yet had a chance to thoroughly peruse your website and the
projects you have already underway, however I will be doing so as my time
permits.

Thank you for your interest and your time.

Sincerely,


Jeff Waddell
jeff@smluc.org

PS.
In case it's not clear in the attached message, kidsgames@smluc.org is a
majordomo mailing list and as such your subscription requests go to
majordomo@slmuc.org

Hello one and all,

I'm a Linux Enthusiast, like most of you.  I'm also a Computer Scientist, at least I have a
Bachelor's Degree ;)  So anyway, why am I writing this letter today.  Well frankly I'm a bit
frustrated and angry and would like to vent so you guys got elected.  I also believe that I
have a better way to do something and I need help doing it.  So, where better to get help than
from your peers....

Here's the story, I've been playing alot of Kids games lately.  You know the one's made by BIG names
with character's from some of our (at one time) favorite TV shows as well as NEW characters created
specifically for the "educational" game.  These games make me Angry!
Here's why:  they are very LIMITING, they only run on Microsoft Windows, and they intentionally do
not scale so that the consumer is FORCED to buy more of them as the student progresses.  I have
said for a LONG time that linux needs to have Kids games (first annual ALS birds of a feather, if
anybody remembers :), and usually I'm laughed at or put down.

The thing is I don't care about that, I've been laughed at before, and it didn't change whether I
was right or not.  These games make me frustrated because I can't migrate away from Windows (and
sadly I'm just talking about Microsoft Windows 3.1 here) and give my
kids the quality multimedia games they deserve; these games promote learning but they have inherent
(and I think intentional) limitations on their scalability.  Oh and by the way I OWN WABI and I know
alot about WINE (although I've not really attempted to migrate all the Windows games to WINE recently).

You may be asking why is he playing kids games....  Well I have two young children, one is three and the
other is five.  I have recently decided to make a bold move in my career!  I'm going HOME and I'm going
to take care of my two children full time.  One of the things I hope this will allow me to do is work
on educational software for and with my kids.  I know that I can't compete with the big name software
companies, and frankly I don't want to.  What I want to do is create a suite of educational kids games
based on the GPL so that there is a BASELINE for educational software.  Our language, history, 
mathematics, and science should NOT be held hostage to proprietary interests.  Imagine if all the
schools around the world could load up this system and be able to provide computer assisted learning
for no more than the cost of the hardware involved, I know Mexico, France, and Germany would be
happy with that, but will the people in the United States care.  Well I don't know, all I know is I
care, and I want scalable educational software that migrates the user from as easy as it can be made
to as hard as it can be made.  There's my itch ;) Anybody volunteer to help me scratch it?

Is it going to cost to make this system?  Of course... Can I foot the bill?  Not a chance.  Am I going
to work on the project anyway? Yep...

Anyway I've set up the mailing list kidsgames@smluc.org for all of you interested, please join and let's
make this happen in "internet" time (buzzwords, ya gotta love 'em).

You can also visit the Southern Missouri Linux User's Club sponsored webpage at 
http://www.smluc.org/SIA/kidsgames which problably won't have more than this announcement on it, for
a while.

We will need some sort of cvs repository as soon as we have code and/or specifications to cvs.  So a
volunteer for that will be most agreeable.

Anybody who wants to actually FUND this effort would also be most appreciated.

Thanks for reading, and I hope some of you will join me on my great adventure...  There are many
decisions to make and lots of code to write, and sounds to create, and pictures to draw or take.  I.E.
there is something for just about anyone, and just think how your grand children will thank you for
such a Legacy.

Sincerely,

Jeffery Douglas Waddell
jeff@smluc.org

Proud Dad
Proud Member of the Southern Missouri Linux User's Club (www.smluc.org)
Proud user of GNU systems.
Linux Enthusiast.

The Southern Missouri Linux User's Club website is generously cohosted by Rick Thomson at 
Ozark Network Communications, Inc. (Oznet.com)

Please don't "slashdot effect" oznet.com, or smluc.org, as Rick has been very good to our club and
I really don't want to hurt his 384k bandwith.