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Re: Windows Donations to Schools and Libraries: Charity or Tyranny?
Posted by: Katherine Noyes 2009-09-17 05:30:56
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There are many ways to celebrate software freedom, such as by choosing to use Linux in your daily life. This Saturday, however, is the day to loudly proclaim your fondness for FOSS, for it's Software Freedom Day once again! That's right: In a few short days, geeks and nongeeks alike will get their party on and celebrate our favorite cause with events scheduled around the globe. Whether you're in Iceland or Brazil, there are celebrations planned near you. It's time to pay homage to all that is FOSS!
Doesn't mean they're not out to get you...
If the FOSS / Linux community want support for Linux on campuses, then they should put their money where their mouths are. Supporting hardware & software costs money to hire and train the IT staff to support it. Every additional platform takes additional time. College is to prepare you to find a a real world job. This for good or bad typically means using or developing software for Apple or MS based systems. That is of course if you actually want to move out of your parent's basement...
If the FOSS / Linux community want support for Linux on campuses, then they should put their money where their mouths are. Supporting hardware & software costs money to hire and train the IT staff to support it. Every additional platform takes additional time. College is to prepare you to find a a real world job. This for good or bad typically means using or developing software for Apple or MS based systems. That is of course if you actually want to move out of your parent's basement...
The "education" system is failing America by teaching Micro-centric courses. There is no "science" taught in the average "computer science" course - the kids only learn how to use MS software. It breaks my heart to see MS giving and/or selling their products to schools for the purpose of indoctrinating the next generation into MS dictated uses of computers. The "charity" that we see today is just more of the same-o same-o that we have witnessed over the last two decades.
Computer science classes, if they lived up to their name, would be training the kids to build the NEXT great thing. Young minds today should understand everything Microsoft, as well as everything *nix, and they should be combining the best of both, while adding something newer and better. We simply do not see anything of that nature happening.
MS. Is it any wonder that I detest them?
Parents, be sure to save enough money to send your children to 4 years of MS indoctrination camps!!
Computer science classes, if they lived up to their name, would be training the kids to build the NEXT great thing. Young minds today should understand everything Microsoft, as well as everything *nix, and they should be combining the best of both, while adding something newer and better. We simply do not see anything of that nature happening.
MS. Is it any wonder that I detest them?
Parents, be sure to save enough money to send your children to 4 years of MS indoctrination camps!!
If they just didn't get machines at all. Use of the terms indoctrinating and detest and other far out there fanboi sentiments shows advanced Microsoft Derangement Syndrome. Is it any wonder the population at large won't take Linux seriously?
You whiff badly since nothing is stopping schools from installing Linux. And no doubt this practice of teaching skills that are immediately transferable to jobs further makes it an atrocity and sin against humanity.
Stuff like this makes me ashamed to be a Linux user.
You whiff badly since nothing is stopping schools from installing Linux. And no doubt this practice of teaching skills that are immediately transferable to jobs further makes it an atrocity and sin against humanity.
Stuff like this makes me ashamed to be a Linux user.
What exactly are the specific Microsoft skills we should be teaching in universities and colleges? Word processors are word processors, computer languages are computer languages, etc. If students learn the basic principles, they can transfer their skills to any operating system in a short time. There should be more to computer education than learning which menus to select.
I just find it incredibly arrogant to be putting these whiny restrictions on the acceptance of donated property and I find nothing wrong with the Gates Foundation donating computers with Windows on them. It's the source of the wealth that made the donations possible.
I can think of several companies that are actually testing prospective employees on knowledge of Office. I can think of none that require Open Office.
If a word processor is a word processor you shouldn't have a problem taking your Office skills and using them for Open Office. Your position shouldn't change based on the OS and software since the principle is the same.
I can think of several companies that are actually testing prospective employees on knowledge of Office. I can think of none that require Open Office.
If a word processor is a word processor you shouldn't have a problem taking your Office skills and using them for Open Office. Your position shouldn't change based on the OS and software since the principle is the same.
