----- Original Message ----- From: MJ Ray <markj@cloaked.freeserve.co.uk> To: <suse-linux-uk-schools@suse.com> Sent: Friday, May 02, 2003 2:16 PM Subject: Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Free school administration software - project has started
simon@qec.carms.sch.uk <simon@qec.carms.sch.uk> wrote:
Personally, when something goes wrong, i know who to point the finger at and who to contact.
You may know who to point the finger at, but proprietary software suppliers often only have to help you if they feel so inclined.
Or if you withhold their money! Unfortunately many of these decisions are made ultimately by bursars who like to be able to point the finger at listed companies rather than a group of like minded geeks (no insults intended). It's about accountability (pun intended). When it goes down the tubes for whatever reason, "..but we pay them £1000's for the software" has much more clout than "... yes, but it was free!" or "...every other school in the country uses it" as opposed to "but our computer whiz said that we ought to try it out" We (I) use a Linux/Squid proxy cache here. Any hiccup (lightning taking out fuses) and the whispers start "should have bought from RM". It's nice to have a scapegoat. If your going to recommend purchasing something (there are costs with any system) then it has to be the best or the perceived best. It's not the users that you have to convince; you can teach monkeys to do anything, it's those taking the flack if it goes wrong, bursars and governors. Not the most dynamic of audiences! Having said that, we do appear to be getting more IT literate/happy governors on boards as time goes by.