On Educating Children

This comment by Nicholas Negroponte was in response to criticism of the layout of the One Laptop Per Child prototype. I agree that we need to stop training and start educating kids!

"In fact, one of the saddest but most common conditions in elementary school computer labs (when they exist in the developing world), is the children are being trained to use Word, Excel and PowerPoint," Negroponte wrote in an e-mail interview. "I consider that criminal, because children should be making things, communicating, exploring, sharing, not running office automation tools."

Read the entire article at Low-Cost Laptop Could Transform Learning

Astroturfing or Sincerity

Dell's new information-seeking website, DellIdeaStorm, may be astroturfing or may be a very sincere attempt to regain lost ground in the PC world.

Either way Dell has generated a lot of buzz in the FLOSS world. And a lot of requests for Linux or no OS computers. More than 80,000 registered visitors have voted for pre-installed Linux.

Visit the DellIdeaStorm website and share your feelings with Dell.

One Laptop Per Urchin?

Recently I noticed that Laptop.org, the updated information website for the One Laptop Per Child program, utilizes the Google Analytic urchinTracker.

How can it really be FREE?

The other day I visited a local computer retailer and was shocked and appalled at some of the things the sales staff was telling prospective customers. So much was inaccurate and incorrect. The sales staff was probably just parroting what the sales trainers and sales managers taught them but the fact is the information was totally wrong. There are alternatives to Microsoft (and other proprietary) products. Indeed, for one example, OpenOffice.org provides full functionality and compatibility with Microsoft Office Standard 2007. The big difference? Microsoft Office Standard 2007 is available at Amazon.com for $351.99. OpenOffice.org is available free; free online to download, free to burn on CD at the local library, free by contacting me, free to pass around.

So I stood in front of the store for a while to hand out Ubuntu Linux and TheOpenCD for free. No takers. Consumers feel that if it is any good then why is it free?

Certainly one reason is nobody advertises free software. ie, "my hairdresser's first cousin in Miami knows all about computers and never heard of FLOSS or free software".

I think I may start advertising TheOpenCD with full functionality and compatibility of Microsoft Office Standard 2007 for only $176. Same features, half the Amazon.com price.

Fifty per cent savings. Limited time only. School discounts available.

Tell your friends.

What's A LUG?

LUGs, or Linux User Groups, have long been an integral part of the Free Software Movement. Linux enthusiasts and those interested in learning more about Linux would meet, share ideas, install software, help each other and in general promote Linux. While Linux was the primary focus, other FLOSS products were supported in sub-groups.

Many LUGs have achieved significant name recognition (this is sometimes known as "branding").

With the growth of FLOSS and the multi-platform nature of so much FLOSS, it is apparent that FLOSS needs to carry it's own banner.

FLOSS is now the umbrella which covers not only Linux, but also Apache, MySQL, PHP, Python, OpenOffice.org, GIMP, Blender, and so many others. However the need does exist to align closely with the LUG community and create a cohesive entity.

One possibility it to change slightly the LUG programs by switching Linux User Groups to Libre User Groups. The term Libre (from the Latin work Liber) conveys the "free as in freedom" concept of FLOSS. This modification is a natural outgrowth which builds upon the LUG foundation and allows for expansion within an already existing organization to include not only Linux, but all the pieces of the FLOSS pie.

Bad Vista Campaign Promotes Free (As In Freedom) Software

The BadVista campaign advocates the freedom of computer users by opposing adoption of Microsoft Windows Vista and promoting free (as in freedom) software alternatives.

With your help, the campaign will:

• Organize supporters into effective actions protesting Microsoft's daylight theft of our freedoms
• Aggregate news stories cutting through MS Windows Vista marketing propaganda
  
• Provide a user-friendly gateway to free software adoption

Learn more at the Bad Vista website

The Saga of Alexandr Ponosov

Russian middle school principal, Alexander Ponosov,
faces five years in a Siberian prison camp and a
fine of 266,000 rubles (approximately $10,042).

Why???

Alexander Ponosov purchased computers for the students
in his school, which is located in the Perm region which
lies in the Ural Mountains, between Moscow and Siberia.
Pre-installed Windows came with the computers.  Unfortunately
(and unbeknownst to Alexander Posonov) the pre-installed
software was counterfeit, pirated software.

Software piracy is big business and it is well known that
the three biggest offenders are China, India, and Russia.
Microsoft has asked these countries to crack down on the
piracy.

Mikhail Gorbachev has asked Bill Gates to intervene and
drop the charges.  Officially Microsoft has stated that
is not them but the Russian government enforcing the law.
Microsoft has stated "We do respect the Russian government's
position on the importance of protecting intellectual
property rights."

Later reports do say that Microsoft actually is the plaintiff
in this case.

Apparently no action will be  taken against the sellers of
the computer with the pirated software. The Russian
prosecutors appear to be cracking down on unsuspecting end
users and not the software pirates themselves.

Russian President Vladimir Putin calls the whole affair ridiculous
and announced at his weekly press conference that "It's
ridiculous to just arrest a chap for using computers".

(edited 2/21/2007 - Charges against Alexander Ponosov have
been dropped but Russian schools are rapidly migrating to Linux
and other Free Software.  Microsoft escaped with only a black eye
which has not been widely reported stateside.)