On Jan 21, 2008 11:01 AM, Jerry Houston <jerry.houston@comcast.net> wrote:
James Knott wrote:
Why is it that people have to learn Windows or Microsoft Office, instead of how to use a computer or an office suite? Do you teach your kids how to drive a Ford? Or how to drive a car? We should be teaching skills, not products.
I love my kids too much to teach them to drive a Ford. <g>
Seriously, I don't think it's a valid comparison. Cars are designed to be nearly universal, and those differences that exist (headlight, cruise, heater controls, etc.) can be figured out in minutes. Operating systems and the applications that run on them have much steeper learning curves.
I'm not suggesting that kids should't be exposed to Linux. Or that it shouldn't be their OS of choice (if it really is their choice). But preventing them from learning anything about Windows and Microsoft applications isn't doing them a favor.
You and I might prefer an open source world, but that's not the world most of us live in, and have to earn a living in.
Till they need to "earn a living" there are going to be another OSes, and another applications, and most probably even the way you interact with computers will change. Exposing the kids to different environments is very important in terms of making them adapt easier to a changed situation. Exactly like the languages - kids learn easier and faster a second (and third language) than adults. And when they have the mindset to think in different languages, it's easier for them to learn yet another one. And another one ... My daughter uses Edubuntu on her computer (Gnome), she is using my Suse machine with ease (KDE), at school they use Macs, and she has no problems using her buddies' Windows machines when she is visiting (even that no one have specifically educated her about this one). It's not the OS/application - it's the process that have to be learned as James said. -- Svetoslav Milenov (Sunny) Even the most advanced equipment in the hands of the ignorant is just a pile of scrap. -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org