[K12OSN] Making K12LTSP 'school friendly'

[Doug Gough]

I've followed this thread with interest because it raises so many
interesting questions. I work in a well funded private school in
Vancouver, BC, Canada. We are a "Windows desktops only!!!!!" shop,
because "that's what works" and we have the money. And, it does work,
for the most part. But if we just accept the defaults, we produce
endless amounts of data in proprietary formats, stored in individual
home directories and backed up nightly to a tape that only the high
priests of the server room (me and my co-worker) can access. It seems to
me that for the average user, the priesthood of the expert is being
maintained, even though the technology is finding it's way into more and
more hands. I hate that. I hate the fact that education is such a
natural human thing, and yet the very tools that could empower it are
controlled in such a way that the important bits always stay in the
hands of the elite. Gosh, I sound like George Orwell or something. I'm
frustrated by the fact that freedom of information is so fundamental to
the growth of a free, open, and free-enterprise society, and yet the
ones who've come before us, and benefited from freedom, now use
proprietary secrets to keep the rest of us from benefiting as we could.
Am I ranting? I probably am, but I've taken the time to explain this
perspective over and over and over again to the teachers and
administrators and gotten no where, and this in Canada; a country that
prides itself in being progressive and liberal. Even worse, why am I, a
bloody technician, explaining this to teachers?!!!!! Teachers should
already know this stuff. Isn't this the stuff of educational philosophy
classes? Oh well, I need a coffee. With REAL cream.....mmmmmmmmm

Doug Gough






-----Original Message-----
From: k12osn-bounces at redhat.com [mailto:k12osn-bounces at redhat.com] On
Behalf Of Jim Kronebusch
Sent: February 11, 2005 8:46 AM
To: 'Support list for opensource software in schools.'
Subject: RE: [K12OSN] Making K12LTSP 'school friendly'

> How much does this issue come up in 'all Mac' schools? 

Having worked in all mac schools....it sure isn't any better.

Brings up a funny point, Reader Rabbit runs on Mac too, just not linux.

I think "all" anything is shooting yourself in the foot.  I have no
problem teaching all OS's as long as it isn't cost prohibitive and
servers an educational purpose.  

Heck, I even diversify my paycheck.  I don't trust any "one" thing
anymore.  I run Windows, Mac, and Linux and have Ford, Mopar and Chevy
in my garage :-)


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