Linux in the TDSB

Lennart Sorensen lsorense-1wCw9BSqJbv44Nm34jS7GywD8/FfD2ys at public.gmane.org
Tue Oct 5 13:36:36 UTC 2004


On Mon, Oct 04, 2004 at 10:58:24PM -0400, Aaron Vegh wrote:
> You're taking on a big task here. Best of luck!
> 
> Here are some of my thoughts/suggestions on how to approach this:
> 
> - consider the format of your proposal. An essay offers maximum
> detail, but may never be properly absorbed by your recipients. A
> powerpoint (created in OOo?) would do better by covering off the major
> points.
> 
> - you're painting too rosy a picture of Linux, and I suspect some
> might wonder where the downside is. There IS downside, and you need to
> address it point-by-point. Be realistic and honest with yourself here.

Well unless the technical staff at school boards have improved
drastically in the last decade (both in staffing levels and average
competency) I am amazed they can keep windows running.  They have in the
past had way too little staff to do the amount of maintenance computers
required.  And some of them knew very little except about one specific
type of computer system.  Perhaps if set up right linux will take less
maintenance which would be a good thing.  perhaps it will take more.  i
don't know, given how destructive public school students can be (for
some reason they think breaking the computer's software is a great
passtime.  The worst being about grade 7/8 in my experience.)

> - Nobody's ever been fired for going with MS. Why should these
> conservative folks make a move? Here's a hint: get the dollar amounts
> of the current system, and put together as part of your proposal a set
> of figures for a Linux ecosystem. Be sure to include tech support, and
> explain how they'll be trained and where they'll come from.

People have been fired for going with Cisco.  I imagine it won't be long
(if it hasn't already happend) that peopel would be fired for buying
IBM.  And if I ran a company, you bet you would be fired for buying
Microsoft.

> As well, there was a thread recently here about FirstClass for Linux;
> the consensus was that it didn't exist. You might want to start a new
> thread with any info on that you might have.

Hmm, I keep wondering when this bizarre program came into existance and
took over all educational systems.

Lennart Sorensen
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