[Gllug] It is not Microsoft

[Chris Bell]

On Fri 09 Jan, Ryan Cartwright wrote:
> 

> 
> This sounds like a really good suggestion to me. By providing an
> alternative  - not necessarily a competitor - you could demonstrate
> any "demand" and/or benefit for using free software to the council.
> Don't forget that it has to be perceived to be a benefit by the
> council not just by those of us who know better.

   As soon as I heard about the Learning Suite I contacted the project
manager, told him that we were interested in providing help for new users of
FOSS, and offered any help. I explained that we already have a fair amount
of hardware available, but did not attempt to dictate the way the council
should run their system.


> 
> I'm currently in an email conversation with somebody who has set-up a
> community suite of half a dozen Edubuntu desktops and a Fedora server
> for people to use to learn computer/web skills etc. One of the
> knock-on effects has been the way different sections of the local
> community are now getting together through the project. The whole
> thing cost £1300 to set up and now that it is shown to be working the
> council are more interested. They did support the project from the
> start but from a greater distance shall we say. The guy running it
> gives 6 hours a week to the project.
> 

   That is the sort of facility I would like to see, with the addition of
being able to install and configure as required, although it may be best to
have some kind of council involvement. It would be nice to be able to throw
some of my pension towards renting space for an educational project that
should have been covered by general public education years ago.
   Unfortunately the eye shields were provided by a very persuasive
marketing machine.

-- 
Chris Bell NEW alternative address: chrisbell at chrisbell.org.uk
Microsoft sells you Windows ... Linux gives you the whole house.
www.overview.demon.co.uk

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