On Wed, Jul 11, 2001 at 09:57:34AM +0100, Derek Harding wrote:
Here, here about school/educational software on opensource. I've just
been
told that my proposed terminal server setup won't get the go ahead unless I can prove the educational, not financial, viability!
Who on Earth told you that? I'd be tempted to throw it in their face and ask them to prove the educational *and* financial viability of your current software. I can't see that Netscape/StarOffice on a thin client has any less educational worth than IE/Office on a thick client, and I can see that a number of purely Unix apps have considerably more educational merit than either.
The financial advantages are largely self evident in terms of licensing costs and reduced time costs in nursing the system.
They are to us but to most people in decision making positions they are not. They simply don't understand the issues and until we have some well publicised models showing them what is possible they won't believe it as it will seem too good to be true. That's why we have to keep going and accept that there will be many setbacks and a lot of resistance. The ace in the hole is that there are many schools who aspire to things they simply can't afford without an Open Source model. These are the ones to go for first, not the 200 machine bran new Windows2000 site or the RM rules everything site. Go for easy wins first and give them something to brag about.
Sounds like the `powers that be' are more interested in preserving the status quo and throwing ludicrous obstacles in your path than investigating real alternatives
Its not just the powers that be, its resistance to change at all levels. I know some technicians who are terrified at losing their Windows power base. Personally, I am finding a lot more openness to open source these days so let's eat the elephant a bite at a time and go for the softer bits first. - maybe when MS send the `licensing
police' around demanding 50k for those few unlicensed copies of DOS you (may) have lying around they'll change their tune ;-)
Let's hope that M$ keep up their parenoia about licensing, it gives the best reason for people to change. IanL