[NTLUG:Discuss] Venturing into new horizons

[jeremyb@univista.com]

 I happen to be working with a school in Austin right now...   Our team
is implimenting a full rdesktop/PXES environment in the computer lab.
All the machines still look like Win2000
but they're actually RedHat core systems.  What's more,  our team
happens to be made up of mostly Windows folk...   I'm the only GNU/Linux
advocate.  I've been working with these guys for a a couple years and
have found that the only goal they have is to satisfy the customer,
GNU/Linux is just getting to where it can do that WITH EASE    ....in my
opinion.   Actually,  I haven't expereince such simple minded bigotry
from the Windows camp.   It's been more  like skeptical curiosity.
  I've found that non-profit organizations like schools are very
interested in anything that keeps them technologically viable and
doesn't cost much.  The school we're working with is, indeed, aware
we're using Linux and other GPL software and they welcome it
....ofcourse we are the administrators.   OUR hope is that by having a
very successful project  role out here, we'll open minds and doors in
other areas.   Afterall,  people talk.

-Jeremy

-----Original Message-----
From: Brian
To: discuss at ntlug.org
Sent: 7/23/02 9:45 AM
Subject: Re: [NTLUG:Discuss] Venturing into new horizons

On Tue, Jul 23, 2002 at 02:57:00PM +0530, Vaidya, Harshal (Cognizant)
wrote:
> However I think its time now to get involved into some serious
business. I
> have downloaded a new distribution, that is , BlueLinux. This
distribution
> is specially made for helping the schools. The BlueLinux guys have
started a
> new project that is the BlueLinux translation project. This projects
aims at
> providing Internationalization to BlueLinux. 
> 
> I have decided to get involved in this project proactively. I wish to
> internationalize BlueLinux for my native language Marathi and National
> Language Hindi.

Do you mean from a developer standpoint, or advocacy standpoint?  If the
latter,
then be prepared for an unwelcome reception (at least in this country)
from school
administrators who know nothing but the FUD Microsoft force-feeds them.
I speak
from experience:  The only implementation of Linux in schools I've
helped with that
was successful was at a Dallas high school, and that was partly because
we simply
didn't tell DISD what we were doing. 

I'm not trying to discourage you from what you're doing.  But the
greatest change
will have to come from within...as a high-school technology teacher,
that's what
I'm trying to do, bring open-source/free software into the school I
teach at one
small step at a time.  Get to know some teachers; don't waste time with
the
administrator.

Don't know if that was the type of advice you were looking for...

  --Brian