Re: [lias] Age IT Software News: Schools open for business

["Michael H. Voase" <mvoase@midcoast.com.au>]

Gday,

	I don't write here much, but I can attest to the poor track
record of OASIS systems in schools. Much of OASIS ( even the latest
roll out ) is still based on ancient text based clients and heavy
reliance on floppy boot systems. The latest roll out ( which happened
between about september to december last year - to correct non Y2K
compliance ) was not all that smooth.

	However, noting from the way things are panning out at the
coal face, a lot of schools have a TCP based network for the web
connectivity, and a second network for the OASIS system. Support
crew are often hesitant to go near the OASIS network since more often
than not, it is not well understood.

	For small schools, this is a major pain since PC's are a scarce
resource and having separate machines and networks for these functions
is
not practical. A far more suitable solution would be to use a web based
interface with an SQL backend running on some form of *nix box. I would
go as far to say that much of a small schools infrastructure could be
adequately handled by a single server providing connectivity and
firewalling, along with a web based OASIS system...

	Anyways, almost every school across N.S.W. has a brand spanking
new Celeron 366 or 400 running Novel 4 and OASIS hooked up to two or
three
workstations all on their own separate network....whilst everything else
will usually end up living on a seperate TCP network. What a waste...

	Anyways that's me rant...

Cheers Mik.

P.S. Just as a last pointer, reports have floated in to me that the
N.S.W.
dept of Ed. signed a contract with MickeySoft for a copy of Office 2K
AND
a copy Win2K Pro for every machine in every school across N.S.W.. I
wouldn't
mind knowing exactly how much of our taxes got pumped straight into
Billies
pocket for a product that teachers are shying away from and another that
isn't even released yet... 

	The problem with Office 2k seems to be if one doesn't load the clip art
library, then office will ask for the install cd when one uses it. The
second
problem is M$'s insistence on doing the 'behind the back' upgrade on
each
document as it is opened and modified. Once touched with Office 2k, the
document then cannot be opened with office 97. Hence preventing schools
with
O2K from sending documents to schools using Office 97. So much for a
company
that supports 'interoperability'. Bleh...

Simon Bryan wrote:
> 
> Yep one of their biggest mistakes, talk to any school and they complain
> about OASIS. It has greatly improved (I hope) from when I first used it. I have
> been using MAZE for 10 years here and it certainly fits the bill for school
> administration. Doesn't run on LINUX :-( but it used to run on UNIX.
> 
> > Kylie Davies wrote:
> > >
> > > Available at
> > >
> > > http://www.it.fairfax.com.au/software/20000208/A4112-2000Feb7.html
> >
> > Hmmm. NSW standardised on OASIS ages ago and are about to introduce
> > standard progress tracking software as well (kidmap I think its
> > called..?..)
> >
> >
> > --
> > Andrew Dorrell PhD.        Research Engineer
> > Canon Information Systems Research Australia     Phone: 61 2 9805 2224 1
> > Thomas Holt Drive,  North Ryde,  NSW 2113.     Fax:   61 2 9805 2929
> 
> --
> Simon Bryan                    sbryan@olmc.nsw.edu.au
> Information Technology Manager sbryan@mpx.com.au
> OLMC Parramatta
> -
> ComputerBank Australia -- http://www.computerbank.org.au/
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