Re: RFC: Debian an die Schule
On Mon, 14 Feb 2000, Roland Bauerschmidt wrote:
> Yes that's excatly the problem. First, the teachers want the "official"
> software fitting excatly to the textbook. Free software can't be like the
> "official" software because of licence issues. I think that developing the
> software for that wouldn't be the problem, but the contents. I suppose
> most developers aren't that interested and don't know that well about topics
> like "Neue Deutsche Rechtschreibung". There must be a cooperation of
> developers of free software and developers of free teaching material.
> Unfortunately I think most (existing) teaching material is not free.
I'm not sure if the teaching software necessarily has to be free. In
the first run it would be enough to let it work under Linux. Why not
pointing software companies to the IPO of VA Linux and tell them about the
possibility of making money under Linux. OK, free software is better,
but we should not forget that some programmers want something to eat
and that it is not possible to change all at once. May be they will
GPL the sources of old versions and that is profit for all.
As I suggested in former mails: Ask the companies for Linux-Versions
of their software. Tell them, that there are good chances to make money
if they would be the first, who have Linux software. Possibly offer
your help in development (or building Debian packages, etc.).
> I know the situation of schools in Bremen quite well and you could say that
> Linux is used in most schools, but let's say in 90% of the cases only as
> server. The normal PCs are half Wind*ws, half Apple. An in computer studies
> (Informatik) almost 100% of Bremens schools are using Apple Macintosh. :(
> The problem is that there are only few young teachers and a high number of
> old teachers. For example in our school the average of age is 51 years!!!
> That means quite a lot of teachers are older than 60 and also these teachers
> are teaching computer studies. I think with young teachers at the age of
> 30 it'd be much easier to convince them to Linux. This might be different
> in other Bundeslaender.
Apropos Mac. I didn't understand exactly what I have read about the
new Mac-OS. It is based on Hurd?
By the way: You could use the argument that you don't have to port any
software for a Mac running Linux because its just Linux as well as on
any other plattform. Just use the other Debian CD-set ;-).
Kind regards
Andreas.
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