[K12OSN] Best approach to calm the school's administration ab out Linux?

[anthony baldwin]

Jeff Kinz wrote:
> George and Henry's replies make an excellent point:
> 
> #1:
> You are teaching the students basic principles of how to use a computer
> which they can use on any type of computer.
> 
> For example: Otis Library in Norwich Connecticut installed
> a number of linux boxes for their library patrons to use for word
> processing and internet browsing in November of last year.

NO way!  I didn't know Otis Library was using Linux!  That's cool!
I drive by Norwich on my way to school every morning.  I live in New 
London and teach in Sterling, CT (last year I taught in Canterbury, 
where all webservices and e-mail are now on Linux boxes, due to my 
influence! and, I' have several Red Hat Linux boxes in my classroom 
which I built out of donated parts.  I'm leaving Sterling, however, and 
the hed computer guy told me to take them with me, because he's afraid 
of them.  Instead, I am giving them away to children who don't have a 
computer.)

> 
> None of their patrons needed ANY instructions on how to use those
> systems.  They just sat down and started using them.
> 

This is true o my students at Sterling.  I set up the linux boxes and 
they sat right down and used them to do internet research, write papers, 
do slide presentation, etc., as if they had been using them all their 
lives.

> For a windows user the start up curve to begin using these systems was 
> ZERO.
> 
> Ask your skeptics what brand of vehicle they drive. Then ask them if
> they think they would have any problem driving one of the other brands.
> 
> The controls are pretty well standardized even though they don't look
> the same.  It only takes a few moments to get used to driving a
> different car.   Same principle applies here.
> 
> 
> 
> #2 - Linux is the future, not Windows.  Take a look at :
> http://www.ocean-usa.org/oitc/event329.php 
> (Thats me, presenting at the head of the room. :)
> 
> Students who use Linux will actually be better prepared for the future
> than those stuck on Windows.
> 
> On the right hand side, under "presentation slides" you will find 
> a link to a powerpoint file.  I created that presentation in 
> OpenOffice- Impress and saved it in powerpoint format.
> 
> If you have any trouble getting the file let me know.
> 
> In this presentation you will find numbers about how
> many organizations and countries are adopting Linux.
> 
> If the current trends continue, The number of microsoft desktop
> users will begin shrinking in about 4 to 6 years.  The Linux desktop
> user's are currently growing at rates in excess of 1000 % a year.
> (for example SUN signed a contract to put SUN's JDS (A linux based
> desktop) on 200 million chinese desktops,  The contract calls for 
> 500,000 desktops to be installed the first year.)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 


-- 
Anthony Baldwin
http://www.School-Library.net
Freedom to Learn!

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