Mailinglist Archive: opensuse-edu (225 mails)
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Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Free school administration software - project has started
- From: "Mark Evans" <mpe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 2 May 2003 09:32:10 +0000 (UTC)
- Message-id: <20030502093203.GC3623@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
On Fri, May 02, 2003 at 09:47:23AM +0100, Robert J Gautier wrote:
> On Fri, 2 May 2003, Alan Davies wrote:
>
> > I'm not sure that 'free' is a good way to go here.
> >
> > Administration is a mission critical area of school function. As such it
> > can't possibly rely
> > on goodwill of volunteers to find bugs and solve them - or to test new
> > versions rigorously.
>
> There is no reason why Free software need only be supported in the way
> you describe. In fact the support options for a Free software package are
> more flexible than those for a proprietary package. The latter can often
> only be supported by its vendor, because nobody else can get access to the
> source code.
If the vendor stops supporting it then you can be literally
up the creek without a paddle. Even when they do provide support
it's a case of "like it or lump it".
> If a software package is Free then you have the right to use, modify,
> and redistribute the software, and to allow others to do that for you.
> That means that you can support the software yourself, or get someone else
> to do it for you. If the operation of a piece of (Free) software is very
> important to you, there is nothing to stop you paying someone to keep the
> software working.
If you are not in the software distribution business you don't
even have to publish any changes you make. Of course if you arn't
in the business of selling proprietary software publishing your
changes dosn't cost you anything and could easily get you goodwill
and/or practical suggestions.
> You are better off when shopping for support for Free software because
> there can be a real market in those services; multiple providers who have
> to compete for your custom.
The thing is that with just about everything else "shopping
around" is the norm. It may even be mandated by school/LEA/etc
financial rules that you do this.
--
Mark Evans
St. Peter's CofE High School
Phone: +44 1392 204764 X109
Fax: +44 1392 204763
> On Fri, 2 May 2003, Alan Davies wrote:
>
> > I'm not sure that 'free' is a good way to go here.
> >
> > Administration is a mission critical area of school function. As such it
> > can't possibly rely
> > on goodwill of volunteers to find bugs and solve them - or to test new
> > versions rigorously.
>
> There is no reason why Free software need only be supported in the way
> you describe. In fact the support options for a Free software package are
> more flexible than those for a proprietary package. The latter can often
> only be supported by its vendor, because nobody else can get access to the
> source code.
If the vendor stops supporting it then you can be literally
up the creek without a paddle. Even when they do provide support
it's a case of "like it or lump it".
> If a software package is Free then you have the right to use, modify,
> and redistribute the software, and to allow others to do that for you.
> That means that you can support the software yourself, or get someone else
> to do it for you. If the operation of a piece of (Free) software is very
> important to you, there is nothing to stop you paying someone to keep the
> software working.
If you are not in the software distribution business you don't
even have to publish any changes you make. Of course if you arn't
in the business of selling proprietary software publishing your
changes dosn't cost you anything and could easily get you goodwill
and/or practical suggestions.
> You are better off when shopping for support for Free software because
> there can be a real market in those services; multiple providers who have
> to compete for your custom.
The thing is that with just about everything else "shopping
around" is the norm. It may even be mandated by school/LEA/etc
financial rules that you do this.
--
Mark Evans
St. Peter's CofE High School
Phone: +44 1392 204764 X109
Fax: +44 1392 204763
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