[Gllug] open source centric ICT in Schools from Sept 2012 ?

Bernard Peek bap at shrdlu.com
Fri Jan 13 10:39:33 UTC 2012


65jkn 12/01/12 23:41, Karanbir Singh wrote:
> On 01/12/2012 07:38 PM, Bernard Peek wrote:
>> The BCS is putting together a few people to look at the situation and
>> there's going to be at least one open-source enthusiast involved. If
>> Microsoft want to compete they will have to provide software at less
>> than zero cost and with much better support than they give commercial
>> customers.
> But its important that the idea of open-source not get muddled in with
> 'free software';
That's true. But there are two different arguments to be made.

There's an emotional/philosophical argument for software free as in
speech. That's something that should be part of the curriculum. It also
needs to be explained to the people selecting the tools that will be
used by students. That's going to be a hard argument to make. It will
take a long time, possibly until the first generation of students
exposed to open source reach the point where they make the decisions.
The key problem is that for the current generation of decision-makers
'open source' is a feature with no perceived benefits.

There's a rational/economic argument for software free as in beer. That
is a tool for limiting the degree that Microsoft can dominate the market.

Both arguments need to be made at the right time and place.

-- 
Bernard Peek
bap at shrdlu.com

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