Re: [ox-en] E-Mexico favours Windows over Linux
- From: Graham Seaman <graham seul.org>
- Date: Sat, 15 Jun 2002 07:43:09 -0400 (EDT)
On Sat, 15 Jun 2002, Raju Mathur wrote:
"Russ" == Russell McOrmond <russell flora.ca> writes:
Russ> On Fri, 14 Jun 2002, Graham Seaman wrote:
>> 'reputation and resource' == ability to bribe? ;-(
Russ> This lack of TCO analysis is quite common. There is this
Russ> weird idea that if a "donation" of software is made - even
Russ> in the unusual case where it brings the initial license cost
Russ> to zero, that this represents some "savings" over what Free
Russ> Software can offer. I've never understood the funky-math
Russ> required to come to those conclusions.
Russ> I don't know that it is really a matter of corruption -
Russ> but an inability to do math. I've run into this in
Russ> situations with many NGO's, one of which receives money from
Russ> the "Bill and Melinda Gates foundation" where more money
Russ> than the donation is wasted in Microsoft licenses, and yet
Russ> they are extremely thankful to the foundation. Had they
Russ> just dropped Microsoft products and accepted the foundation
Russ> money anyway, they would be so much further ahead
Maybe I'm acting as the Devil's Advocate here, but there is also a
possibility that MS products have greater (perceived) value to the
user than Linux or other free software technologies. For example, if
I find Linux too difficult to setup and Open Office too clunky to use
I too would be grateful if someone donated me a free copy of Windows
and MS Office.
Yes, I think that can be true for individuals. But when it comes to
decisions at a state or local government level, I can't believe individual
preferences come into it like this. Either the state body does a serious
study of the benefits and makes a decision on that basis (which could also
go either way), or more likely, the decision is a result of the political
strength of the various people involved. It seems that Microsofts
preferred tactic at the moment is to work behind the scenes; both to
suggest to local associations of proprietary software companies the best
way to influence their government; and to provide personal benefits to
senators etc who can represent Microsoft 'donations' as a good thing.
Not saying that this is necessarily true, but it's a possibility that
we cannot close our minds to by just saying `free software is better'.
Certainly. And in some real ways proprietry software actually is more
useful (for example, the number of office staff who have basic knowledge
of how to use proprietry software is higher, so you could argue that in
the short term free software would have higher training costs). If you
want to argue that free software is better, I think you have to do it on
very specific grounds. Eg:
1. It is more secure; since the source is open you can follow standard
cryptographic practices. Proprietary software inevitably uses 'security
through obscurity'.
2. The data formats are open. Your documents will not suddenly become
unusable because a proprietary company has decided to produce a new
version of word processor, or gone bankrupt.
3. There is no danger of back-doors being added either by a proprietary
software company or by a foreign government.
4. It is better educationally, since it is possible for students to see
how everything works internally, and even to experiment with changing it.
5. It helps produce more employment, since local companies can be built
around servicing free software. It produces better trained people, since
people working with free software know how it works, not just which
buttons to press.
6. It is more helpful for people in minority language areas, since they
can localise the software themselves, where a proprieatary software
company might not have the financial incentive to do so for a small
market.
etc, etc. Just 'better' doesn't help much ;-).
Until the putative man in the street believes that Linux is at least
as good as MS in any given application area we will have to keep
battling the higher perceived value of free MS software as compared
with free Linux.
Russ> [snip]
>> If it is true, then people have definitely learnt from that
>> experience (eg http://www.linex.org/ , the Extremadura schools
>> project), and Microsoft have lost that particular leverage. But
>> if it isn't, than it's hard to know exactly what leverage MS
>> have got, apart from money?
Russ> Microsoft is a very successful marketing and government
Russ> lobbying company. Don't underestimate their marketing power
Russ> to push brand-names over substance. Do take note of the
Russ> "government of Vicente Fox shortly after the ex-The
Russ> Coca-Cola Co. executive took over the presidency in December
Russ> of 2000" reference to help understand the politics of the
Russ> situation.
Russ> Anyone trying to take this on has to have done their
Russ> homework, and it was quite obvious that the past Mexican
Russ> attempts didn't have any of the required background to deal
Russ> with the lobbying efforts of Microsoft.
Yes that was what I was saying the consensus seemed to be - but apart from
the fact that they seem to have lost for now, what evidence is there of
this? I can't even find any names of people involved to ask them. Maybe
Miguel de Icaza?
Here in Delhi we're trying to make a small step towards popularising
Linux in education, starting with schools. The project is called LEAP
(Linux in Education Awareness Programme) and currently has one mailing
list (school-request linux-delhi.org?subject=subscribe),
archives at http://www.mail-archive.com/school%40linux-delhi.org/ .
We appreciate the social aspect of promoting Linux -- one of the items
on the agenda is to ensure that presentations to schools include a
healthy dose of the philosophy behind free software along with
pragmatic (technical and commercial) reasons for switching to Linux.
We are currently in the process of making a presentation kit which
volunteers can use to popularise the idea in schools they have close
associations with (e.g. alma maters, childrens' school, etc). The kit
will contain presentation materials, booklets on Linux, posters and
Linux CD's based on Red Hat customised for school use.
The biggest question facing us right now is whether or not to involve
commercial organisations in this project, and, if the answer is yes,
how to determine the parameters of the engagement. We are hoping to
be able to make the first step (at least) without requiring outside
resources.
If you have experience in similar endeavours I'd be glad if you joined
the list. The task list is still small, but we need all the help that
we can get.
I had a quick look for linux in schools and added some random
international links below - some only spanish or brasilian. Does the
language make it useless? I wondered if the possibility of making links
with people doing similar things in other continents might be a natural
'selling point' for free software in schools - it's something they often
do anyway, but it comes naturally with free software (which is inherently
international), unlike proprietary software (which is, outside the US,
usually inherently 'foreign' - quite a different thing ;-)
http://www.k12ltsp.org/ (oregon, us)
http://www.saulotoron.net/ (canary islands)
http://www.wensleydale.n-yorks.sch.uk/ (yorkshire, uk)
http://www.linex.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=19
(Extremadura, Spain)
http://www.redeescolarlivre.rs.gov.br/index.html (Rio Grande, Brasil)
http://linux.lexilog.org.uk/ (linux in schools analysis)
Good luck
Graham
Regards,
-- Raju
_______________________
http://www.oekonux.org/