This follows someone else's response but I've lost the original so I've lost the thread. Not unusual for a hectic Spring Term!

Nobody wants to use a locally developed solution because they don't understand it No Support. The 'If you've developed it and you leave we're cream-krackered' worry.

Absolutely spot on with that observation - I'm getting exactly the same as soon as I say "Linux Workstation" They're happy about servers and networks (which can be as in-house as I like) but not what they press the keys on.

The problems are not related to the inability of the software or the programmers to carry out the task but to a percieved lack of support - while I can operate quite happily from this list not many others can. Usually teachers don't want to know anything about systems other than Microsoft (though I'm changing that with Linux and Mac OS!) - I had one hell of a job convincing our staff to use Lotus Smartsuite rather than MS Office despite Lotus' advantages!

Again, I agree about the change of software. I had an IT teacher say, "It would be brilliant to run Linux, Publisher wouldn't keep crashing." !*#!

If we want to develop a SIMS/Key Solutions 'look alike' I'm happy to throw my lot into the fray with any other interested parties BUT we will need to overcome the above perceived problems AND should spend some time asking School Admin Staff what they want from such a system (as they are the ones who usually end up managing the software anyway!).

There I meet less opposition, probably because SIMS is so poor. The look-alike is important, though, because of learning curves and confidence. One of the problems will be using the DRS OMR machines because DRS have no plans to release the comms language ("We're not ready for open source yet," they said at BETT). Postgres has more kudos as being "real" while mysql is seen as being "shareware".

If we're going to do this though, let's operate to some sort of agreed standard for describing the database and other software associated with it - I try(???) to work to SSADM V4 but don't always succeed/

Here, here too. I must admit I've largely given up trying 'cos I never get the time! -- Best wishes, Derek Harding, (BA MIAP) ICT & Network Manager hardingd@warlingham.surrey.sch.uk