[Opensource] eLearning Planning

[Roland Gesthuizen]

Am I to be prevented me from supporting some of our very poor parents when
we support software solutions that save them money or allow them to recycle
an old computer?

Our Khmer students can only use Open Office. We have installed it on all our
school computers and it happy works alongside all the other software.

Our sister school in Cambodia doesnt need charity discount software. It
needs money to clear mines. Letting them get on with using and developing
KhmerOS gives them this.

This sounds almost as unsavory as a past hospital practice of distributing
"free samples" of milk from a pharmaceutical company to new born mothers. We
are rightly concerned when this continues to happen in third world
companies.

We should be worried by any commercial software vendor that promotes an
injurious subsidization, hostile pricing or distribution scheme.

Free milk? Get real.

Regards Roland

On 04/08/07, Pia Waugh <greebo at pipka.org> wrote:
>
> <quote who="Cameron Bell">
>
> >    * Networking software, including network managing programs and
> >      anti-virus software
> >    * Microsoft licensed software and standard applications
> >    * Software that is used for eLearning.
>
> I've just recently found out (and I can't quote my source unforunately)
> that
> several prominent organisations in education have an agreement with
> Microsoft that means they get even cheaper versions of MS Office if they
> agree to not use any competing office solutions (such as Open Office). I
> can't verify this at the moment, but I thought it would be worth raising.
> If
> this is true in any of your schools, Government departments or other, then
> it should be tracked down.
>
> Not only is it anti-competitive, but it is also removing the opportunity
> for
> students to learn anything apart from MS Office, which means they are
> learning products, not concepts. It also discriminates against poorer
> students that can't afford to purchase MS products at home to do their
> homework.
>
> Cheers,
> Pia
>
> --
> Software Freedom Day 2007                   http://softwarefreedomday.org/
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-- 
Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College
http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change
the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead
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