The Role of Free Software in Education: "Groklaw: 'On 19 September, we celebrate Software Freedom Day. At tomorrow's Boston gathering, I will have an opportunity to thank the Free Software Foundation on behalf of Sugar Labs for their support. I will also have a chance to tell the story of Sugar, our efforts to help children learn to learn and learn to love and exercise their freedom.'"
ES: Andalusia to distribute open source laptops to schools
ES: Andalusia to distribute open source laptops to schools: "In the Spanish autonomous region of Andalusia, 190,500 students and teachers will start using open source laptops in January, Spanish newspapers reported earlier this month."
London Stock Exchange platform acquisition ignites open source war of words
London Stock Exchange platform acquisition ignites open source war of words: "Computerworld UK: 'But that system, known as TradElect and built by Accenture, will be replaced by an open source-based system.'"
Note:
I talked about this during the presentation
Opinion: Your XP-to-Windows 7 upgrade path: Buy a new PC
Opinion: Your XP-to-Windows 7 upgrade path: Buy a new PC: "Cyber Cynic: 'I like Windows 7. It's much better than Vista. But if you were to ask me to name the one feature that makes it a step up from XP, I'd be left speechless.'"
Funding cuts leave schools scrambling for solutions - Times Colonist
Funding cuts leave schools scrambling for solutions - Times Colonist: "
Funding cuts leave schools scrambling for solutions Times Colonist Greater Victoria school boards are struggling with layoffs and delayed maintenance and capital projects in the face of unexpected provincial funding cuts ... |
5 things Best Buy employees must know about Linux.
5 things Best Buy employees must know about Linux.: "
Microsoft, the Redmond giant and vendor of the world's most troublesome OS, has now taken a different route to publicize its upcoming Windows 7 in October. It is now using deliberate disinformation about Linux to hoodwink unsuspecting employees of Best Buy to sell its new OS. In order to be fair to those being fed with the disinformation in these slides, I am assuming they do not know anything about Linux. The following five points should help clarify issues for them.
Lie no 1- Linux updates require time
This is a lie, and a very weak one at that given the fact that it's coming from a giant like MS. In the slide, Ubuntu is used as an example to show how updating and upgrading Linux is hard and takes time. If anything at all, updating and upgrading are the easiest things you can do in Linux. One update, and everything on your system is automatically updated. No need to individually select apps to update or upgrade, no need to scour the internet downloading apps from various vendors. Linux updates can take as low as one minute to update depending on the size of update. Updates in Linux are also consistent and very timely. There is not a single bit of consistency in Windows updates whatsoever. Windows updates, because they are very infrequent, make your system very vulnerable to security threats. When you update in Windows, you only update the OS and nothing else. So what is MS talking about? Oh I forgot, it's just lies! I could go on and on and on.
Lie no 2- Windows offers choice and compatibility
Microsoft claims because you can attach your Ipod and camera to your Windows box, that means they offer you choice and compatibility. Pure hogwash! The last time I checked, I could attach my Nokia and Sony Ericsson phones to my Ubuntu box without any so called PC suite, I can use my Ipod with Banshee music player or Rhythm box , attaching my digicam is a snap, I do not need any driver to get my SD card to be read by my Ubuntu system. Not a single one of these can be done on a Windows box without the help of third party drivers and bridges. Yet MS claims Linux is not compatible and does not offer you choice. Oh I forgot, I can video conference with my blog partners half a world away with Skype. I do not need Windows Live because I am running Linux. Games? I will reserve my words.
Lie no 3- Windows works with a lot of softwares
Of course Windows works with a lot of softwares since MS has the clout to get more ISVs to develop for the Windows platform. But, Linux has thousands of software available for free download and easy to install. It's just a matter of knowing what you want to do and searching for the app. Windows? Well, pray to get lucky enough not to get infected with a virus scouring the net for an app. Yes an app can bear the Windwos logo, but it will cost you good money.
Lie no 4 Linux is difficult to learn
Well, maybe it's only in the world of windows without gates that a distro like Ubuntu of Fedora is difficult to learn. What MS is not telling you is that even Windows has a learning curve, so if Linux has it, does that make Linux difficult to learn? If an alien should land from Jupiter today, would he automatically know how to use Windows? Every OS out there has a learning curve and neither Windows nor Linux is an exemption. MS talks about support or a step-by-step tutorial. Well, I guess this site answers that assertion.
Lie no 5- Security
This is the biggest, blatant lie of all the propaganda MS has ever come up with. It sometimes takes just hours for a patch to be pushed out to users when a vulnerability is discovered in Linux.You are never alone in terms of security when it comes to Linux. There is a constant look out for security threats in Linux and patches are never far away. Windows updates are pushed out when MS wants and not when it must. Windows is in itself an insecure OS without third party guards like antivirus and antispyware. MS talks about parental control, in what context is it referring to?
I will end my submission here. You can take a look at the slides here and draw your own conclusion. Let me know what you think when you draw those conclusions.
Microsoft’s Best Buy Lies About Linux Debunked
Microsoft’s Best Buy Lies About Linux Debunked: "
Microsoft’s Best Buy Lies About Linux Debunked
Post from: The Linuxologist A blog that advocates Linux and Open Source.
In an effort to thwart Linux sales on netbooks, Microsoft has started a training program at Best Buy to “educate” their “experts” on Linux. And true to their fashion, MS resorted to FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) and straight out LIES! However, Microsoft still maintains that Linux is not a threat to their market, they are just spending all this money to “help” people make an educated decision. Funny thing, is that they ended up promoting Linux.
Over here on The Linuxologist, we already debunked most of the general myths about Linux, however this one warrants its own response:
- No camera support? What are we exactly talking about here anyways? Webcams? Or regular digital cameras? Doesn’t really matter, both work perfectly fine on Linux, and out of the box in most cases. If we are talking webcams here, some webcams might require tweaking and hacking. But remember we are talking about netbooks where Linux is pre-installed at the OEM level, so all webcams SHOULD work. Regular digital cameras work also, they would act like any regular USB peripheral.
- Most MP3 players sync perfectly fine with Linux. Microsoft doesn’t seem to know the difference between iTunes and MP3 player. iPod Touch can prove a bit tricky, but still Songbird among others provide good support. In any case, this is not Linux’s problem, but Apple’s and their draconian methods.
- Printers work perfectly fine, whether through CUPS or a manufacturers driver. While anecdotal, I have blogged about my woes of getting an HP printer to work on XP. The same printer worked out of the box on Ubuntu
- Limited software compatibility? Well if you are talking about software designed specifically for Windows environment, then yes of course it is limited! However there is NOTHING that you would want to run on a netbook that doesn’t have a suitable replacement.
- No support for Windows Live services. This one really takes the cake! I wonder why Redmond? Still Messenger works perfectly fine through other clients that are more superior to the bloated Live messenger provided by MS. I am not sure what they mean by Mail, but I am assuming its their web-based E-mail (hotmail), but it also works. As for Photo Gallery, I don’t have the slightest idea of what it is, but really who uses it? People seem to be on Flickr or Picassa.
- Who would even buy a netbook for gaming? Still, WoW (their example) works fine through wine and so do other high-end games. But I don’t know why one would do gaming on an 8 inch screen. Stick with solitaire.
- Authorized support? Red Hat, Canonical? Hell even Novell?
- Video chat works perfectly fine on Skype, Yahoo, and Live messenger (aMSN, Kopete…etc.) Gmail doesn’t yet support video or voice, but they are working on it. However, they do have a testing version (request here.) Not sure about other networks, but I am sure they work also.
Covered most of claims with the first slide but:
- iTunes and Zune users might face problems because of Redmond and Cupertino’s monopolistic practices. Still Linux users found ways around these issues (wine, Amarok, Songbird…etc)
- Quicken: Moneydance, GNUCash, and KMyMoney. Also, Mint and Quicken Online both work
- Photoshop: Gimp (lets not get into that endless PS Vs. Gimp debate, remember this is a netbook, no serious work should be done on it)
- Office 2007: OpenOffice
- Regular updates: Yeah because updating is an exclusive domain for Microsoft! Because nothing says secure like an update once every second Tuesday every month
- Meets expectations: Already debunked!
- Free downloads: Linux doesn’t need “free” security add-ons, the system is built from the bottom up to be safe Oh, and the whole OS is free!
- Funny how they were boasting that they update regularly, then use that same argument against Ubuntu
- It doesn’t have to be clear, unlike Windows, Linux doesn’t have to reboot after every freakin minor update. Hell you almost NEVER need to reboot, and even when you do, you don’t have to do it immediately. The system doesn’t nag you about it either
LOL, this one actually deserves its own demotivational poster. Share them with us. Be creative!
Microsoft 'indoctrinates' Best Buy workers with anti-Linux 'lies ...
Microsoft 'indoctrinates' Best Buy workers with anti-<b>Linux</b> 'lies <b>...</b>: "Microsoft (MFST) is "indoctrinating" Best Buy (BBY) workers to sell its highly anticipated Windows 7 operating system using outright lies about the performance of open-source competitor Linux, according to Linux experts and at least one ...
Another cause against Microsoft and lockin!
Another cause against Microsoft and lockin!: "
Just a quick post to highlight a new cause being started on Facebook and Twitter. BrokenWindows aims to educate users in the benefits of using alternatives to Microsoft products.
I would be a hypocrite if I didn’t champion it since my stance on this blog has been the same since its creation over a year ago.
Maybe if you have recently moved from Microsoft products you could follow BrokenWindows and spend the time educating and helping another in the benefits of breaking free?
To follow on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/BrokenWindows_
and the Facebook campaign can be found here:
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/344450/
Our "New" Linux Lab
Image by ....Tim via Flickr
Initial student reaction to the computers in this space is typically, 'These are ugly.' But when they consider the environmental impact and when they actually use the computers, the students really seem to appreciate and enjoy this resource. Quite honestly, after 10 minutes of web browsing and working in our new web-based email system (Google Apps), the students seem to completely forget that they are using a different operating system. We had a full class of 17 students in the lab for the first time this past week and the performance was quite solid, especially considering each student was authoring in Google Docs, a web based word processing environment.
On Tuesday of this past week we had our first 'Linux Lab Open House.' We invited students, teachers, staff and administrators to come take a look at the Linux desktop operating system in action. We only had a few people attend, but it proved to be a very nice introduction to Linux as an operating system. See the video clip below from Tuesday's open house. We're hoping to have a second open house at some point in October and we're going to try to invite parents as well. We're even considering doing a 'Make-it-take-it' type of day where students/families can bring in their old computers and we'll help them load Ubuntu Linux.
Microsoft Teaches the Public That Free is Illegal
Microsoft Teaches the Public That Free is Illegal: "
Shameless tactics from Microsoft describe Free software as 'piracy' and now an 'endemic problem'
"
Microsoft Teaches Pupils About Lock-in
Microsoft Teaches Pupils About Lock-in: "I'm amazed Microsoft hasn't done this before:Microsoft's Education Labs launched a new project this afternoon and it's better on trees and the environment. The group just announced a new Math Worksheet Generator where teachers can generate math problems and email them in paperless Word format to their students. In addition to Math Worksheet Generator, the group also announced plans for two additional projects to be released in the Fall.
Hard-pressed teachers will love this - and won't even notice that they are being turned into a vector for lock-in to Word (not that they aren't already). I predict we'll be seeing much more of this content-driven approach, whereby Microsoft makes people offers they can't refuse...provide they take King Billy's shilling.
Teacher's Guide to Web 2.0 at School
Teacher's Guide to Web 2.0 at School: "Sacha Chua has once again created an awesome slide presentation. In this presentation, A Teacher's Guide to Web 2.0 at School, Sacha does a great job of addressing the 'yeah buts' and 'what if' opposition statements that some administrators and teachers make in regards to using Web 2.o in schools.
The slideshow is embedded below. If you're reading this in RSS you may need to click through to view the slideshow.
A Teacher's Guide To Web 2.0 at SchoolView more documents from Sacha Chua.
Here are some other great slide presentations created by Sacha Chua that I've highlighted in the past:
The Shy Connector - Networking Tips for Shy Folks
Web 2.0 in the Workplace
