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sonofwang
| | #1 posted January 22, 2008 at 5:44pm (EST) |
Well this post is intended for all 2-3 people who looks at this forum. I have to write an essay for college English 102. We are allowed to choose the topic and I would like to write about why I think Linux should be implemented in public school. If you have any reasons I'd like to hear them though I have a good idea already of what I intend to include in the paper.
The main points I'm trying to make are that peoples dependence on microsoft has created/is creating people who are users of a system without knowing how it works and how providing some public school instruction on Linux/OSS will spur creativity and provide knowledge on how computers work rather than how to use Windows.
I really don't want the paper to be a linux vs microsoft debate but I imagine i will discuss some of the benefits of each.
The more I think about it I may have heard about some school systems already doing this, but ill have to do some research. | millenium_dare
  
| | #2 posted January 22, 2008 at 10:15pm (EST) |
I would argue against using it just because students will encounter Windows and its respective applications when they enter the workplace. We can all agree the Linux+Gnome=awesome, but the practicality of a full scale implementation is little to none. The cost cutting of not buying licences would be a plus, but your going to have to re-train all the students and teachers which would carry with it a heavy price.
Visit the Upcoming Events Forum | Yaverot
 
| | #3 posted January 23, 2008 at 11:25am (EST) |
In public school (K-12), computer training should be balanced between Win/Mac/Linux/BSD so that no one needs to be "retrained" when they get to college and/or the business world. Of course, with modern systems, retraining time is near nil as "clicking the document opens whatever program you're supposed to use with it". Knowing to use "/" vs "\", or "~" vs "C:\My Documents\username\" might be hard for some people but shouldn't be a problem for a properly set up system, since the average user will just use the shown default.
The cost of (re-)training K-12 students is none, it is the point of the coursework. Retraining the teachers will have a miniumal cost, but the real price is the support by the 'network admin'. Especially since (s)he needs to keep each system appropriately locked down.
Now if the course is "how computers work" instead of "English, use any word processor", "Business, I wanna see slideshows" then most modern systems are too advanced to start out with. You need a low end system with easily feelable limitations, lets the students learn the limits and see how modern systems (while greatly expanded) still have similar limitations; my last reading of "Zero" made me realize that computers are useless for "math" because of the limitations on what can be represented by the system. A computer is a logic machine. Once the student hits their epiphany and understands (each individually) then moving them to more modern systems and seeing how "the numbers are just bigger" but doesn't change basic design of the system.... People who want to program really need to learn these limitations, 2+2=4 but 1.5+1.5 != 3.0
Time for the bad car analogy:
These are different classes:
"How to ride in a car"
"How to drive a car"
"How to do idiot-level maintenance on a car"
"How to fix a car"
"How to build a car from existing plans"
"How to design a car"
The world in general makes the assumption that "computers" is a single class, and if it isn't then subbing "computer" for "car" in the above list is good enough, although it would be more accurate to sub "computer" for "vechile".
Driving a bike, a skateboard, an airplane, or a Model-T all have different (but somewhat overlapping) skills and procedures. If you can set yourself up with the proper abstractions, most computer systems "drive" similar enough now. But most people don't cross-platform enough to learn those abstractions.
I'd rather see a paper showing that every high school grad should have a well-signed GPG key, and that would prevent the need for "RealID".
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Sitting like a princess perched in her electric chair. | sonofwang
| | #4 posted January 23, 2008 at 9:13pm (EST) |
Good points. Thanks. | Yaverot
| | #5 posted March 25, 2008 at 1:02pm (EST) |
So how'd the paper go?
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Reports of my self-editing of Wikipedia are exaggerated. | nihon
 
| | #6 posted March 25, 2008 at 9:00pm (EST) |
What Yav wrote... 
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-- Apple/Mac Forum
-- Utah Speculative Fiction Council | sonofwang
| #7 posted March 26, 2008 at 12:18pm (EST)
edited March 26, 2008 at 12:21pm (EST) |
I ended up writing on a different topic than the one I mentioned in the OP. I wrote a paper called "Try Linux." I got an A. It helps that the teacher had no clue what I was talking about. It's very idealistic and biased and oft-times downright stupid, but it was my first paper in about 3 years.
Microsoft Windows and Apple's Mac OS are two types of operating system. The operating system is the software interface that allows people to use the actual physical hardware located inside a computer or laptop. A lesser known operating system is Linux. Unlike Mac OS or Windows, whose popularity and name recognition can be attributed to marketing and a successful business model, the popularity of Linux is primarily due to its merits as an operating system. Many computer scientists and enthusiasts have long enjoyed and promoted the benefits of Linux, and it is time the average computer user does the same. The widespread availability and scalability of Linux, The Open Source movement, and the position of Linux in the marketplace demonstrates the viability of Linux as an operating system and the necessity of a widespread promotion of Linux.
Linux is readily available. Many different versions of Linux, designed to meet specific needs, are available for download on the internet. These versions, known as “distributions,” are all available for free. One simply downloads a file from the Internet, copies it onto a compact disc, and places it into a compact disc drive on a computer. They can then enjoy all the abilities and functions that they expect. One license for Microsoft Windows Vista will cost at least one hundred dollars, and prices are as high as four hundred dollars for the premium version of Vista. The prices are even higher for server editions of Windows. Most, if not all, Linux distributions, however, include standard server functionality, and for those that do not include server software, it is available for download for free as well. When one considers the proliferation of personal computers and the rate at which they are thought of as outdated, another benefit of Linux is brought to light. The scalability of Linux, rather, its ability to be used on both old and new hardware, means that computers that seem sluggish running Windows can often run much smoother and faster using Linux. With Linux, older machines destined to spend years in a closet collecting dust can now be used for many purposes, including, but not limited to, a home media server, a firewall, or a dedicated web browsing/email machine. Various versions of Linux designed for older systems can turn machines upward of ten years old into computers that are functional even by today’s standards.
Besides being free and readily available, Linux is Open Source software. The Open Source movement allows various individuals and companies to share in the work of others and contribute as their skills and specialties allow. The Open Source Definition established by the Open Source Initiative essentially states that in order to be considered Open Source a software product must adhere to guidelines which ensure that, above all, the programming code or source code must be freely available for redistribution and modification. It also states that no discrimination can be used to prevent anyone from using Open Source software. The computer code that comprises Microsoft Windows and Apple's Mac OS is kept private. With Linux, however, anyone is allowed to view and alter the code. With Windows and Mac OS, there is a limit to the amount of knowledge that can be obtained. Unless one is employed by Microsoft or Apple, one can never gain true insight into the inner-workings of the operating system. Even being employed by one of those corporations, a programmer will likely only see a small portion of the tremendous amount of code that is required to produce an operating system. Imagine the advances that can be made, that are being made, because of the availability of this information. This applies to the average computer user in a profound way. Given the previously stated availability of Linux, it is beneficial and simple to present to one's self, and particularly - due to an enhanced learning curve - one's children, an operating system that is available to be viewed and modified. What if Beethoven had never been exposed to a piano? Why should children not be exposed to a computer system which can dually challenge their minds and perform the functions that are expected of a computer.
Aside from the creative possibilities of Open Source software, the practical application of Linux in the business world demands attention. Computer technology resources used in the business industry are increasing dramatically. Small and large businesses are utilizing computers for a variety of needs, from data management services to kiosk style sales interfaces. While Linux can fulfill virtually all business needs, particularly noteworthy is the role of Linux in the global server market. The use of Linux in high level enterprise servers is increasing at a substantial rate. Just as in the personal computing realm, Microsoft has the largest market share of the server industry. However, many market analysts predict that by 2015 Microsoft will have less than fifty percent of the market. Companies like Redhat, Inc. have taken Linux into the corporate business world by providing commercial support for their own custom distributions of Linux. America Online, Merrill Lynch, and Dreamworks are but a few of the companies that rely on Redhat Linux for their server needs. With the market share of Linux-based servers steadily increasing, the demand for skilled Linux technicians is evident. Will Americans promote the use and study of Linux, or will the outsourcing of jobs to foreign companies be necessary due to a lack of qualified Linux server administrators and technicians? It is time educational institutions begin to promote and implement the use of Linux in response to the rapid growth of Linux in the business world.
It is time people see beyond the corporate branding and advertising campaigns that have thrust proprietary operating systems like Microsoft Windows and Apple's Mac OS into the collective consciousness. It is time to embrace the advantages of Linux. The availability and scalability of Linux, its benefits as Open Source software, and the economic implications of Linux in the global server market are issues that provide insight into the dire need for raised awareness concerning Linux.
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