Sun, HP, and IBM have the same problem. - Nobody knows _anyhting_ about their Unix systems before someday sitting in front of one ;-)
The problem being common with non-free *nix's doesn't mean we shouldn't address it.
I don't say the FSFE shouldn't think about it. But I tried to say that the problems you pointed out are three completely different ones:
- The students that leave universities have no knowledge of Unix.
- Teachers and students are not aware that something else than windows exists.
- They don't know about free software.
I think the FSFE should think about both but should only invest time in the third one.
I don't know which resources the FSFE has available but you have to realize that you can't do everything alone.
If Unix User Groups don't address this issue maybe the FSFE should promote the use of Unix. (either free or non-free)
NO! Promoting the use of non-free software? NO. It's a fact that when taught on the use of a GNU environment on is at the same thime taught on the use of non-free *nix. That's a side effect. Not the reason it is done.
ouch.... okay... what about this: Try to find out if commercial unix vendors do/want to do something about this. If they want to, why not let them do that and maybe talk to the people working on that? Many people use free software on commercial unix systems.
I just try to point out that in the first two points the FSFE _MIGHT_ have a common interest with the commercial unix vendors.
That's what I'm trying to prohibit. - If they learn Unix, regardless of freeness, they will have _no_ problem of working with a GNU system.
Yes, that's true. But not a reason to promote Unix use.
Well. IMHO the GNU system was designed like Unix to make it easy for people to use free software and to make it easy to port software to this free platform.
- Developing free software to be used as a tool in any level of education: primaire, high school, supérieur.
Oups, some french glided in here: primaire = 6 to 12 years old, supérieur = higher education (after high school graduation).
I don't think free software works that way.
? Why should the whole world use free software to do everything, but not education organizations? I really don't get your point here.
Maybe I didn't understand what you said. - You said the free software community has to develop free software to be used as a tool in any level of education.
IMHO free software best works if there is a direct relation between problem/solution. - Someone has this problem -> they write software to solve it.
In all other cases I don't think it works if someone is not paid for it.
If you pay someone it _will_ work with free software. - My answer was much too generic.
Gerhard Poul wrote:
- Developing free software to be used as a tool in any level of education: primaire, high school, supérieur.
Oups, some french glided in here: primaire = 6 to 12 years old, supérieur = higher education (after high school graduation).
I don't think free software works that way.
? Why should the whole world use free software to do everything, but not education organizations? I really don't get your point here.
Maybe I didn't understand what you said. - You said the free software community has to develop free software to be used as a tool in any level of education.
IMHO free software best works if there is a direct relation between problem/solution. - Someone has this problem -> they write software to solve it.
In all other cases I don't think it works if someone is not paid for it.
I think it can work. Think of something like the GNU task list. It actually has a section "Education", but only two items in it. I think there could be quite a few more.
In my experience, a number of (potential) hobby free software writers are sometimes looking for nice projects, and especially if they are pupils/students, educational projects might be quite right for them.
So if we make a list of needed projects (I suppose those of you who work on free educational software, like in OFSET, have some idea what is most missing currently or otherwise interesting), and make this list well-known (either by filling in the GNU task list, or separately), this would probably already encourage some development. I don't know if further infrastructure is needed (e.g. a mailing list to discuss things like a common look&feel or i18n issues, rather than the details of individual projects), but if so, FSFE, OFSET or another organization could easily provide it, I supopse.
So, I guess what I'm saying is just that it is possible for FSFE to foster some development in this area, even without paying someone (and without controlling anything). :-)
Frank