[SLUG] Re:Library summary v2.0

[john at johnallsopp.co.uk]

> Hi
>
> John's draft of Linux for artists looks good to me (non artist), but I
> think
> the positions of the web addresses is an issue.   I always look up
> footnotes
> in books.  I can't resist them.  I see that this may be a minority
> view.
> Electronic documents seem to me to be rather different.  You surf from
> site
> to site, and forget, en route, what you were looking for.   So my idea
> is
> that people come into the library, pick up the handouts, take them to
> the
> library computer, log on to Slug website, find an html version of the
> handout, click onto points that interest them and then use the <- to
> go back
> to the handout.  So the references to websites should be in the text,
> not in
> a footnote at the end of the text.

I think, since the paper based things are trifold there will have to
be two different formats anyway .. so we may as well use footnotes for
the trifolds (which I think works better in print), and inline
hyperlinks for the online versions.

> I think this could be made clear on the business card size handouts
> that we
> make available.  Which I volunteer to produce.

Good man :-)

> Here is Linux in Education, v2 text

I noticed in the August Linux Format, I was just reading a favourable
review of http://users.pandora.be/muylkens/edukator (go to Edukator)
which it says is unusual because it's not aimed at children, but at
more advanced studiers of physics and maths. Just in case you want to
mention it. It won't teach you good English tho.

> Linux, free software and education
>
> Free (open source) software, and Linux especially, is great for anyone
> in
> education, and great for anyone with a child in education.  Most of
> our
> schools and colleges don't use it.  This is a shame.  Free software
> has at
> least as much value as commercial software and costs about half as
> much.
> BECTA, the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency
> says so.
> The fast growing economies of the Pacific rim use it. Our children
> will have
> to compete in a world that uses it.  You can use it with, or without ,
> installing the Linux system on your computer, but the best way to
> exploit
> free software at home is by installing a Linux operating system.  You
> can
> find plenty of information from FLOSS.
>
> Free/libre open source software
>
> FLOSS exists to support software, especially in education that is both
> free,
> as in free beer, and free (libre), as in free speech.  You can find
> out about
> FLOSS on http://www.schoolforge.org.uk/index.php/Try_FLOSS_Now .
> They will tell you how to use free software in education with or
> without
> installing Linux.  If your system only runs Microsoft Windows, you
> will find
> plenty of programs that are free and invaluable, both for the hard-up
> student
> and family on a budget.
>
> Firefox is an open source web browser, that has more features and is
> far more
> secure than Internet Explorer.  Millions have already downloaded it.
>
> OpenOffice is an office suite that looks like Microsoft Office.  Many
> think it
> is about to replace Office. It does all the same things, it is totally
> compatible with Office, and, in its latest version puts out files that
> are in
> OpenDocument format.  This is the standard recommended by BECTA, the
> UK
> authority for what goes on computers in UK schools, so if you have it
> in your
> home you will be ahead of most local schools.  More on BECTA later.
>
> The Gimp is a program for manipulating images.
>
> There are many more.  Use the FLOSS website to search the web for your
> particular interest.  For example try
> http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mep/default.htm .
> This allows you to download an entire maths textbook, if you want one.
>
> You can best use free software if you install a Linux operating system
> and
> FLOSS will help you with this.  If you install Linux as a student, or
> as a
> family with students who need educational  support then a distribution
> that
> uses the KDE window manager

such as?

> is a good idea because KDE has a project
> called
> Kdeedu devoted to educational software.
>
> KDE
>
> Almost all Linux distrubtions come with the KDE window manager.  KDE
> has a set
> of programs  called Kdeedu.  This is an expanding collection of
> programs
> which contains various language games and activities, a touch typing
> tutor, a
> planetarium, a program for plotting graphs, an elementary  and much
> more.
> Look out for Kdeedu when you install.
>
> Don't be a Dummy!
>
> Plenty of books are available free online.  For example try
> http://documentation.openoffice.org/
> Information is free online.  You need never pay £40 for unopened books
> again!
>
> BECTA-what open source costs schools
>
> A report produced by BECTA last May concluded that both primary and
> secondary
> schools could provide computer software for their pupils by using Open
> Source
> at about half the cost of commercial suppliers like Microsoft.  There
> is a
> short account at:
> http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/linuxunix/0,39020390,39197751,00.htm
>
> The report stresses the importance of training for the teachers who
> use the
> software.   This reduces the need for specialist technical support.
> The full
> report is available at:
> http://www.becta.org.uk/corporate/publications/documents/BEC5606_Full_report18.pdf
>
> Why schools don't use open source software
>
> You might expect that low cost would make schools enthusiastic about
> free
> software.  Very few are.  One reason is that they need to bid to
> become
> specialist schools.  The sponsorship they need to do this often locks
> them
> into a single commercial supplier for their most important software.
> You can
> find a report on this at:
> http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2005/03/11/ms_specialist_schools_deal/
> Another reason is that using this software properly needs training,
> and it is
> hard for schools to find time.
>
> Schools that benefit from Linux networks

remove 'that' ?

> Even schools with lots of computers find it hard to give their
> students much
> 'hands on' experience.  So they need more computers.  Orwell High
> School in
> Felixstowe found itself unable to provide all the computers it needed.
>  To
> exploit free software to the full they use Linux for networking and
> operating
> systems.  Linux provides the best and most widely used software for
> networking.  It can allow you to use older computer systems that might
> otherwise clog up landfill sites.  They can become thin client
> servers.
> These are computers that are used as terminals which can connect to a
> much
> more powerful server computer.   Because they work without their own
> hard
> disc they are less liable to failure.  This make them cheaper and more

make->makes

> reliable.  You can find a full account at:
> http://www.theregister.co.uk/Design/page/linux_case_study_orwell_high_school.html

Does it need a closing, summarising sentence? Otherwise it all looks
good.

Cheers
J