[Gllug] It is not Microsoft

[Jose Luis Martinez]

2009/1/8 Chris Bell <chrisbell at overview.demon.co.uk>:
> On Thu 08 Jan, Alain Williams wrote:
>>
>> On Thu, Jan 08, 2009 at 10:12:40AM +0000, Chris Bell wrote:
>> > Hello,
>> >    I have been trying to persuade my local Ealing Council to provide help
>> > for new users of Unix compatible Free Open Source Software, and the only
>> > real response has been that it is not Microsoft, so no. There is no help
>> > provided for any other system.
>>
>> This implies that the council offers help for users of MS s/ware ... ?
>> In what context ? This doesn't sound like the sort of thing that councils should do ?
>>
>> >    I am looking for any previous relevant cases where an organisation such
>> > as Trading Standards may have become involved.
>>
>>
>> --
>> Alain Williams
>
>
>   The council has provided courses for many years through the "Adult
> Learning" and Ealing Library services.
>   The Hanwell Community Centre (a listed old school building, once attended
> by Charlie Chaplin) is about to undergo a 2,000,000 renovation, and Ealing
> Council has also set aside 350,000 to convert five? of the largest and best
> classrooms to a Microsoft Only "Learning Suite", to be used by Council staff
> during the working day but be available to others at other times.
>
> --
> 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

Use the credit crunch angle, just mention how much helpful it would be
to people in the borough to learn to use software that can be obtained
for free, compared to software that will damage the economies of the
families in the borough on these dire economic times.

Ask why the council is not helping families to save money this way
(perhaps compare the costs of licensing with the £200 or thereabouts
we are getting thanks to the generous VAT reduction).

Lets see who is the valiant soul in the council that puts his name to
a policy that encourages families to spend more money instead of less.
Point out that access to the Internet would be cheaper and thus help
the most needy people.

>
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