Re: Deer in the Headlights

I accidentally only replied to Alan - my apologies to the list. Please 
see below.

Taran

Taran Rampersad wrote:

> Alan,
>
> It's not just in the U.S., either. The Trinidad Guardian had an 
> article about the Trinidad and Tobago's Ministry of Education's 
> computerising of primary and secondary schools. They are in 'final 
> negotiations' with Microsoft to provide 'discounted software' to these 
> schools.
>
> Ugh.
>
> The gut response of many - including myself - was that Microsoft was 
> being naughty. Again. And that may very well be the case, but after an 
> initial email to George Gobin (Microsoft Caribbean East), he told me 
> that the article suggested that the article was out of proportion - 
> and we're to discuss it when he returns from his travels this 
> week/next week. This got me to a bit of a eureka moment, though it's 
> sort of a downfall as well.
>
> The Ministry of Education wanted software. They went to Microsoft, 
> more than likely - not the reverse. There's no insight into this 
> because (1) the TTLUG and other advocates lack the connections, (2) 
> There's NO formal body in country - or in the Caribbean for that 
> matter - who can tender a counterbid.
>
> The closest we have are the Trinidad and Tobago Linux User Group 
> (TTLUG; http://www.ttlug.org ), The Trinidad and Tobago Computer 
> Society (TTCS; http://www.ttcsweb.org ), and the Computers In Schools 
> project (CIS; http://cis.saafe.org ).
>
> A formal body is a catch 22, as many people know.
>
> Meanwhile, the government is putting things into place through an NICT 
> that, because of the history of government here (and elsewhere), 
> there's little room for us to maneuver.
>
> It's a worldwide thing. What a mess.
>
> Toss in the fact that, in the Caribbean, the curriculum of secondary 
> schools is controlled by the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC, 
> http://www.cxc.org ), and that the people who drive IT are instructors 
> who mark examinations - and therefore are probably not going to be 
> named by CXC for this reason.
>
> There is a problem with Microsoft, yes, but the problem isn't 
> Microsoft here as far as I can tell. It's about reaching the people 
> who make decisions.
>
> Taran
> http://www.knowprose.com
>
>
> [email protected] wrote:
>
>> Dear Colleagues,
>>
>> Here is the beginning of an article that appeared today in the 
>> Washington
>> Post:
>>
>> (start)--------------------------------------
>>   Microsoft's Big Role on Campus
>>   Donations Fund Research, Build Long-Term Connections
>>
>>
>>   By Ariana Eunjung Cha
>>   Washington Post Staff Writer
>>   Monday, August 25, 2003; Page A01
>>
>>   REDMOND, Wash. -- Bearing gifts of cash, software and computers worth
>>   $25 million, Microsoft Corp. came to the Massachusetts Institute of
>>   Technology in 1999, saying it wanted to jointly develop educational
>>   technologies. Some scholars expressed more suspicion than gratitude.
>>
>>   At a celebration to kick off the collaboration, students and faculty
>>   members heckled the speakers, insisting the computer company's
>>   software wasn't worthy of use or study at MIT. Some took boxes of
>>   Microsoft's Office 2000 software and stomped on them. An editorial in
>>   the school newspaper wondered: Had the school sold itself out to
>>   become the "Microsoft Institute of Technology?"
>>
>>   Today, four years into the five-year partnership, the protests are
>>   over and Microsoft technology is firmly entrenched at MIT.
>>
>>         [  You can go to www.washingtonpost.com to get the
>>         complete article, or you can E-mail me, and I'll forward
>>         it along:  Alan  ]
>>
>>                 -------------------------------------(finish)
>>
>> I have been a member of this E-list pretty much since its inception, I
>> believe, and it is interesting to read the occasional postings of people
>> making us aware of Linux's successes and occasional stumbles at various
>> places around the world.
>>
>> I have also posted once or twice, to try to make people aware of an 
>> E-list
>> with somewhat similar subject matter, but quite different objectives; I
>> refer to   linux-pe   .  Linux-pe, which stands for "Linux -- Public
>> Education" was founded by, and is administered by me, Alan 
>> McConnell.  I live in Silver Spring, a suburb of Washington D.C.
>>
>> Linux-pe is dedicated to the goal of getting Linux installed in as many
>> governmental entities in the United States as possible.  Note that it
>> is not intended to be a "discussion" E-list, but an "organizing" E-list.
>> My hope is to have a membership big enough so that a subset of its
>> membership -- say the members in Dallas, TX, who wish to move the Public
>> Library system in Dallas to a Linux-based system -- can get together, 
>> using
>> linux-pe as a virtual rendezvous, to plan meetings, exchange documents,
>> and make decisions.  If the Dallas people do this using linux-pe, the
>> other members, not Dallas based, can lurk, and pick up tips from the
>> success and disappointments of the Dallas people.
>>
>> Another example: we in Maryland, whose Motor Vehicle Authority was shut
>> down for a day by Blaster, could form a lobbying group to change the MVA
>> software here.
>>
>> As the WashPost article above shows:  M$ is not sitting idly by.  
>> Neither
>> should we.  They have the money.  We have, I would hope, the people, the
>> cause, and the votes.  But we've got to get organized; or rather, we've
>> got to start organizing ourselves.  I think linux-pe is one place where
>> this can be done.
>>
>> Here is what I have written as a "statement of purpose":
>>
>> "linux-pe is an E-list dedicated to "activism" about ways of getting
>> Linux into use by local governments(libraries, police forces), state
>> governments(tax and finance SW, communication with constituents) and
>> national government(my particular cause; I want Congressional offices
>> to use it).  I am the admin, but not the "owner", since I hope for
>> untrammeled discussion.  Examples of what I'd like to see:
>>
>> "1) Linuxians from e.g. Oregon banding together to urge their state
>> reps to push the bill mandating consideration of Open Source for all
>> SW purchases by the State of Oregon
>>
>> "2) Reports on Linuxians visiting officials, SW associations(such as the
>> MMITA in Maryland I visited)
>>
>> "3) Reports on SW already in place, feasibility of ports to Linux, etc
>>
>> "4) Investigation to how the Largo, FL experiment is running
>>
>> "5) Statements from public officials about what they'd like to see.
>>
>> "6) Financial comparisons . . .
>>
>> "I feel that Linux is certainly ready for government use, and it 
>> seems clear
>> that its use can save strapped governmental entities money.  If, as is
>> sometimes asserted, some government shops have "zero interest in 
>> saving money" . . .  well, that is an issue which we, as tax-payers, 
>> should address, no?"
>>
>> I hope this does not seem vague; I hesitate to be more specific, for I
>> have a strong belief that E-lists, at least of this type, should be 
>> owned
>> and run, as far as possible, by its members.
>>
>> It of course is to be seen if the people, the cause, and the votes can
>> beat money.  One thing is sure: if the people -- that is, among others,
>> the US readership of this E-list -- sit idly by while the M$ machine
>> roars down at them, money will win for sure.
>>
>> At present, linux-pe does not have many members; we have about 60 
>> members,
>> and to be effective we need at least 1000, which is of course a tiny
>> fraction of the total US Linuxer population.  This E-mail is frankly
>> and explicitly an invitation to join.
>>
>> So I invite all -- especially US members -- to join linux-pe.  To do so,
>> go to:       http://www.tux.org/mailman/listinfo/linux-pe
>> and follow instructions<g>.
>>
>> A final plea:  if you are motivated to comment or query what I have
>> written, _PLEASE_ do not reply only to me.  Reply to this whole E-list,
>> or join linux-pe and reply there.  Your comment only to me may likely do
>> me good, but don't you want to do us all good???<g>
>>
>> Best wishes to all,
>>
>> Alan
>>
>>  
>>
>
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