[Year 12 Its] Re:
[Yr11InformationTechnology]ProgrammingAwards2006: PD Regi
paul at excelbusiness.com.au
paul at excelbusiness.com.au
Tue Jun 6 21:28:57 EST 2006
> The fact that they only offered
> VB is a clear example of Microsoft's ulterior motives.
"Ulterior motives"? Hrmmm.... I wonder why on earth Microsoft would want
anything in return for such a large amount of money in sponsorship of the
programming awards... I thought they were doing it out of the goodness of
their heart, like all other companies that sponsor competitions.
The awards are nothing but advertising for Microsoft, and it's fair for
them to assume they will be getting something in return.
Regarding Visual Basic being "forced" on students, the only kids that need
exposure to "good" programming languages (ie. C, Java etc) are the ones
that are interested in programming.
MS VB is a simple and easy way to get kids involved in programming. Imagine
how much fun students with no interest in doing IT would have if sat at a
black and white terminal and taught how to write something in C - they
could spend 2 weeks writing 'fib' - Wow ...great way to show kids that
programming is fun.
If they find they like this "hand held" programming, then they can move
onto other languages to broaden their skills.
If they're not getting exposure to other languages when they've obvious
potential/interest, then it's their ICT teacher that has let them down, not
big bad Microsoft.
> Feeding them a diet of
> almost nothing but Microsoft platforms, web-browsers, dev tools,
> office suites etc is the problem.
Absolutely, but this is neither Microsoft's nor VITTA's fault. It’s the
department and school teachers themselves.
Perhaps an Open Source company should sponsor $15,000 and get students
involved in a PHP/Perl competition...
Paul Ferrett
Student, The University of Melbourne
B. Engineering (Mechatronics)/B. Computer Science
-----Original Message-----
From: is-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:is-bounces at edulists.com.au] On
Behalf Of Jack Matthews
Sent: Tuesday, 6 June 2006 6:00 PM
To: is at edulists.com.au
Subject: Re: [Year 12 Its] Re:
[Yr11InformationTechnology]ProgrammingAwards2006: PD Regi
Behind you 100% Con Zymaris
I think it's ridiculous that schools are openly promoting a software brand
(Microsoft). In my opinion all schools should have access to alternatives,
in particular Linux.
I also agree that VITTA & Microsoft should have allowed any language to be
entered into the programming competition. The fact that they only offered
VB is a clear example of Microsoft's ulterior motives.
Get students hooked!
I know personally, that I have students that have entered the competition
that would rather program in C++ or JAVA than VB.NET.
>From some of the posts I have read here, it is clear that possibly some
>feel
very uncomfortable with the prospect of anything other that Microsoft.
Possibly a lack of exposure to anything else!!
and so the cycle goes on..........
>From: Con Zymaris <conz at cyber.com.au>
>Reply-To: "Year 12 Information Technology Systems Teachers' Mailing
>List"<is at edulists.com.au>
>To: "Year 12 Information Technology Systems Teachers' Mailing
>List"<is at edulists.com.au>
>Subject: Re: [Year 12 Its] Re: [Yr11
>InformationTechnology]ProgrammingAwards2006: PD Registrations
>Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2006 12:11:11 +1000
>
>On Tue, Jun 06, 2006 at 11:43:23AM +1000, Kevork Krozian wrote:
> > Hi Con,
> >
> > The three obvious question are:
> >
>
>Thanks for your thoughtful questions, Kevork.
>
> > 1. Are you aware of any efforts to initiate other programming
> > competitions through DET that have been blocked ? if not , why not
> > offer to promote and initiate a broader programming competition for
> > schools rather than call it non-Morosoft ?
>
>You bet.
>
>Several years ago, we approached DET to help push Wide Open Code, a
>programming competition focussed on open source tools and platforms.
>After many months of discussions, we acheived little in getting their
>assistance. We ran the competition anyway, but without broad DET
>support, we cannot hope to reach most schools and therefore most students.
>
>Remember, we don't have Microsoft's marketing muscle nor their deep
>pockets - we are all volunteers with a community focus. We need DET
>assistance to disseminate information and to publicise events more than
>Microsoft does.
>
> >
> > 2. What efforts have been made to offer other, non Microsoft
> > software to DET and where have these efforts led ?
>
>For over 4 years now, Open Source Victoria has made a concerted effort
>to get DET to look at alternatives to Microsoft platforms on the desktop.
>We've had meetings, emails, phone calls - nothing has happened in that
>time. Nothing looks like it's happening in the mid-term future.
>
>In addition, several years ago, the Ministerial Council on Education,
>Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (www.mceetya.edu.au) asked the
>state DETs to prepare guidelines for the adoption of open source software.
>Nothing came of that.
>
>More information? Whenever DET puts out a tender to supply software for
>desktop OSes and productivity software, the open source industry is not
>invited to bid for any of that business.
>
>Software refresh cycle after software refresh cycle, Microsoft is
>awarded the business without real competition. The last cycle gave
>Microsoft $23
>million:
>
>
>http://www.tenders.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/eTenders/etdrPublishing.
>nsf/ContractsAll/693020B2BDD8448BCA256E2B00077E25?OpenDocument
>
>The reality is that the state Departments of Education are the most
>pro-Microsoft agencies in the country.
>
> >
> > 3. What industry and tertiary education uptake is there for
> > Microsoft and non Microsoft software ? If 95% of industry uses
> > Microsoft products, schools and DET would be negligent in not
> > exposing students to this community mainstream would they not ?
>
>For industry, 20% of the server industry is now Linux and open source.
>70% of the web-development market is Linux and open source. 10% of
>office suites are now open source as are 10% of web browsers. All these
>segments are growing 300% faster than industry average. It's also worth
>reading
>this:
>
> http://www.linuxtoday.com/developer/2006060202826OPMRDV
>
>As for universities, almost all Australian universities focus a major
>portion of their IT courses on Linux and open source software. If you
>care for references, I can point you to the lecturers themselves.
>
>Exposing students to Microsoft is not the problem. Feeding them a diet
>of almost nothing but Microsoft platforms, web-browsers, dev tools,
>office suites etc is the problem.
>
> >
> >
> > Over to you
>
>Thanks again for the opportunity.
>
>
>Cheers,
>
>Con Zymaris
>
>- CEO, Cybersource Pty. Ltd.
>- Director, Open Source Industry Australia, Limited.
>- Convenor, Open Source Victoria (A Government-funded industry
>cluster.)
>
>--
>_______________________________________________________________________
>____ Con Zymaris <conz at cyber.com.au> Level 4, 10 Queen St, Melbourne,
>Australia
>Cybersource: Australia's Leading Linux and Open Source Solutions Company
>Web: http://www.cyber.com.au/ Phone: 03 9621 2377 Fax: 03 9621 2477
>
>
>_______________________________________________
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>- Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and
>http://www.vitta.org.au - VITTA Victorian Information Technology
>Teachers Association Inc
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