hi all
i am interested in the comments to the list about Becta's stance re Open
Source. While not defending it entirely i do sympathise with Senior
(non-techie) Management opinions on Linux and Open Source. This debate is
not untypical in many public and private sector organisations.
Some other facts about the Open Source debate in UK education:
- that the main tier one suppliers are aware of Open Source / Linux, and
some even might see a commercial model, the existing commercial model is
extremely lucrative, the schools IT market is booming.
- that the DfEE would like to commision 'public-source software' where any
commisioned provider has to allow 'free' re-use and re-development of online
content material. This of course is not populat amoungst the development
community who again like the existing model very much.
- lobbying has already been done to Tony Blair, Patricia Hewitt, David
Blunkett and Alex Allan, with some success. Open Source is on the DfEE/DTI
agenda, but maybe not very high up it
- One the UK Tucows mirrors is hosted by RM :-`, as is the UK mirror for
Postgresql
If Becta's ongoing research into the potential of Open Source in education
shows that is should be pursueing a more high-profile i personally hope it
will. To that end, anybody wishing to express their views should attend on
the 25th July, Coventry (contact gino@ngfl.gov.uk)
a good debate....
Malcolm
-------------------------------
Dr Malcolm Herbert
Head of Technology R&D, Becta
02476 847126 Mob: 07801 612438
-------------------------------
-----Original Message-----
From: Phillip Deackes [mailto:gsmh@gmx.net]
Sent: 08 July 2000 22:26
To: suse-linux-uk-schools@suse.com
Subject: Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] OSE Conference
"Frank Shute"
By rolling over you are not `evaluating emerging technologies', you are not in a position to sensibly `advise[s] the educational IT industry' and you are not encouraging `a strong, competitive market of choices available to educational users'.
As a taxpayer, I want my money back.
Who's in charge at Becta? I want to write to them and flame them to a crisp.
Absolutely. I too was very disappointed to read the original comment from Malcolm. I think Becta needs to think long and hard about who it works for. The biggest constraint in my own school is money - lack of it is causing the students' education to suffer. I want to expand our network; the hardware is not the problem, it is all the software licenses the money-grabbing software houses want us to pay for. One software title can cost a school many hundreds of pounds. We just can't afford it. I would have hoped Becta would have been more positive about the open source movement. I am also surprised that RM et al haven't cottened on the fact that there is money to be made with open source software. If they could do with Linux what they have done with NT/Windows and their Connect networking they would be on to a winner. 'Free software-pay for support' would be a winning combination for many a school, mine included. All we are waiting for is this sort of scenario. As ICT Coordinator I am not confident enough to jump ship by myself. -- Phillip Deackes Using Storm Linux 2000