Re: [Alug]Update on story of Microsoft charging schools too much.
Neil Marjoram wrote:
I would like to start with a clearly well worded and clearly demonstrable case to remove MS Office in our schools in favor of Open Office for each MP in our area (Saving Money in education wins votes!) It should also be a short non technical non bias paper (if we can be non bias!). Then lets go for the jugular latter with Linux instead of Windows (think we need a few more revisions before we have good desktop).
I'll go for a draft, but my English and spelling are crap - anyone like to take up this challenge?
Neil - you write a draft and I'll spell check and tweak words a bit, if you like. Jen
Jennny_Hopkins wrote:
Neil Marjoram wrote:
I would like to start with a clearly well worded and clearly demonstrable case to remove MS Office in our schools in favor of Open Office for each MP in our area (Saving Money in education wins votes!) It should also be a short non technical non bias paper (if we can be non bias!). Then lets go for the jugular latter with Linux instead of Windows (think we need a few more revisions before we have good desktop).
I'll go for a draft, but my English and spelling are crap - anyone like to take up this challenge? Neil - you write a draft and I'll spell check and tweak words a bit, if you like. If my ticket ever arrives, I will try and ask this queston on this Sunday's Dimbleby program with Charles Clarke. I help you if I can, see sig. -- Tarquin Mills
Reboot Movement (An Anti-Wintel Campaign) http://www.planet14.sonow4u.co.uk/comp/reboot/
On Fri, Jun 20, 2003 at 12:22:37PM +0100, Tarquin Mills wrote:
Reboot Movement (An Anti-Wintel Campaign) http://www.planet14.sonow4u.co.uk/comp/reboot/
I was looking at the Reboot site and it doesn't make it clear but what are you favouring to replace the the current wintel monopoly with? I certainly don't want to go back to the old system of having many small companies each trying to trap customers in with their own small monopolies like the computer market of the 80's and early 90's. Even now it hurts to remember the vendor lockin across the entire market back then which ironically is what caused Microsoft and Intel to become the dominant vendors in such large parts of the market. Adam -- jabberid = quinophex@jabber.earth.li AFFS || http://www.affs.org.uk/ || Not a filesystem
On Friday 20 Jun 2003 12:22 pm, Tarquin Mills wrote:
Jennny_Hopkins wrote:
Neil Marjoram wrote:
I would like to start with a clearly well worded and clearly demonstrable case to remove MS Office in our schools in favor of Open Office for each MP in our area (Saving Money in education wins votes!) It should also be a short non technical non bias paper (if we can be non bias!). Then lets go for the jugular latter with Linux instead of Windows (think we need a few more revisions before we have good desktop).
I'll go for a draft, but my English and spelling are crap - anyone like to take up this challenge?
Neil - you write a draft and I'll spell check and tweak words a bit, if you like.
If my ticket ever arrives, I will try and ask this queston on this Sunday's Dimbleby program with Charles Clarke. I help you if I can, see sig.
As well as contributing to the debate, how about doing something tangible, like ALUG offering to support schools in making the change to Linux? Ian
Ah ha - good idea! Thought about including that in the first email, but I thought that I should not as although this is a good idea, I my self may not be able to commit the time at present. But that does not stop anyone else! Neil. On Fri, 2003-06-20 at 15:14, Ian Bell wrote:
On Friday 20 Jun 2003 12:22 pm, Tarquin Mills wrote:
Jennny_Hopkins wrote:
Neil Marjoram wrote:
I would like to start with a clearly well worded and clearly demonstrable case to remove MS Office in our schools in favor of Open Office for each MP in our area (Saving Money in education wins votes!) It should also be a short non technical non bias paper (if we can be non bias!). Then lets go for the jugular latter with Linux instead of Windows (think we need a few more revisions before we have good desktop).
I'll go for a draft, but my English and spelling are crap - anyone like to take up this challenge?
Neil - you write a draft and I'll spell check and tweak words a bit, if you like.
If my ticket ever arrives, I will try and ask this queston on this Sunday's Dimbleby program with Charles Clarke. I help you if I can, see sig.
As well as contributing to the debate, how about doing something tangible, like ALUG offering to support schools in making the change to Linux?
Ian
_______________________________________________ main@lists.alug.org.uk http://www.alug.org.uk/ http://lists.alug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/main Unsubscribe? See message headers or the web site above! -- Neil Marjoram <n.marjoram@vam.ac.uk> Victoria & Albert Museum
On Fri, 20 Jun 2003, Ian Bell wrote:
As well as contributing to the debate, how about doing something tangible, like ALUG offering to support schools in making the change to Linux?
I sent a post yesterday, but it doesn't seem to have arrived yet... As I was saying, in agreement with another post, maybe an ALUG signed message to the EDP explaining about linux etc. might be helpful (I also offered to write it if no-one else wants to). Also, as Ian says might it be a good idea to get a few of us to meet the various heads of IT in schools and perhaps do a demo for them? They may or may not have a say in what OS goes on there computers, but if the latter than maybe enough 'converted' teachers could persuade whoever does decide these things to give linux a go? Just a thought... BenE
On Saturday 21 Jun 2003 12:19 am, BenE wrote:
On Fri, 20 Jun 2003, Ian Bell wrote:
As well as contributing to the debate, how about doing something tangible, like ALUG offering to support schools in making the change to Linux?
I sent a post yesterday, but it doesn't seem to have arrived yet...
As I was saying, in agreement with another post, maybe an ALUG signed message to the EDP explaining about linux etc. might be helpful (I also offered to write it if no-one else wants to).
Also, as Ian says might it be a good idea to get a few of us to meet the various heads of IT in schools and perhaps do a demo for them? They may or may not have a say in what OS goes on there computers, but if the latter than maybe enough 'converted' teachers could persuade whoever does decide these things to give linux a go?
Just a thought...
If nothing else it would give us a chance to dispel some FUD. Ian
On Sat, Jun 21, 2003 at 12:19:48AM +0100, BenE wrote:
Also, as Ian says might it be a good idea to get a few of us to meet the various heads of IT in schools and perhaps do a demo for them? They may or may not have a say in what OS goes on there computers, but if the latter than maybe enough 'converted' teachers could persuade whoever does decide these things to give linux a go?
Hmmm I wonder if I could convince some people at work to demostrate linux at our dept? Looks pretty decent to be honest.. but then too much hardcore linux (thousands of xterms, latex work and most of all, we all play tetris ;) -- (o_ - Craig Butcher //\ - IT Technician / Unix Support MTH/ENV @ UEA V_/_ - http://www.wizball.co.uk
BenE <mail@psychoferret.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
As I was saying, in agreement with another post, maybe an ALUG signed message to the EDP explaining about linux etc. might be helpful (I also offered to write it if no-one else wants to).
I would almost certainly sign such a message. I need to prepare, but I am a teacher of post-16 maths who is willing to demonstrations. Of course, I might have a financial interest in this (see sig) if there's demand for support. I am also an exec member of the UK Association For Free Software (web site at http://www.affs.org.uk/) and know other people who are willing to give demos in other parts of the country. (And, from what I've seen, I may not be the only ALUG member on AFFS exec for much longer. That is a really wonderful thing.) -- MJR/slef My Opinion Only and possibly not of any group I know. http://mjr.towers.org.uk/ jabber://slef@jabber.at Creative copyleft computing services via http://www.ttllp.co.uk/ Thought: "Changeset algebra is really difficult."
** MJ Ray <markj@cloaked.freeserve.co.uk> [2003-06-21 11:47]:
BenE <mail@psychoferret.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
As I was saying, in agreement with another post, maybe an ALUG signed message to the EDP explaining about linux etc. might be helpful (I also offered to write it if no-one else wants to).
I would almost certainly sign such a message. I need to prepare, but I am a teacher of post-16 maths who is willing to demonstrations. Of course, I might have a financial interest in this (see sig) if there's demand for support.
I am also an exec member of the UK Association For Free Software (web site at http://www.affs.org.uk/) and know other people who are willing to give demos in other parts of the country. (And, from what I've seen, I may not be the only ALUG member on AFFS exec for much longer. That is a really wonderful thing.) ** end quote [MJ Ray]
Ditto on several of those items: would also be willing to demo, time permitting also could have a financial interest here, I support a number of organisations with Linux, but unfortunately the government/national curriculum/etc. is a significant hurdle in the use of anything non-Microsoft. (again, see sig) also on the AFFS list, although not yet signed up as a member - will do soon Mark :-) of course I have to add that I'm not local, but based in Hampshire (and on the HantsLUG list), but there's no reason there shouldn't others with a local (to me) link on the list. -- Paul Tansom: - contact paul@aptanet.com for more information Internet and Intranet Solutions -- http://www.aptanet.com/
participants (9)
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Adam Bower -
BenE -
Craig -
Ian Bell -
Jenny_Hopkins＠toby-churchill.com -
MJ Ray -
Neil Marjoram -
Paul Tansom -
Tarquin Mills