Re: Educational software for Linux--progress report

[Roger Dingledine <arma@mit.edu>]

In message <199807121400.KAA11700@csrlink.net>, dloss@csrlink.net writes:
>I'll be happy to do that when I can get to it.  I think it's on my computer at
>work, and I won't be back there till the 20th.  And it's possible that I wrote
>it in a submission form on RedHat's web site, in which case, I don't have a
>copy of it.  I I can't find a copy, I'll try to reconstruct it from memory.

Ok, but if you can't find it don't spend too much energy reconstructing it
from memory. We probably shouldn't post it to our website in that case --
I don't think Redhat would be too happy about being lobbied about a letter
they never actually got. :)

>>Things to include might be a discussion of target audience (why it's
>>relevant to have educational software on linux these days (though be
>>careful about statements like "all relevant linux users are male and in
>>their early twenties" (though I'll shut up now because I'm male and in
>>my early twenties))), good resources for converting current educational
>>applications from conventional platforms to Linux, good resources for
>>developing new educational applications under and for linux, and a
>>list of desired types of programs and maybe even who is providing them
>>once they're provided. A means of centralized advertising for new
>>companies porting their edu-software to linux might be a good goal in
>>itself.
>>
>>This would be a lot more widely read than an individual campaign, so it
>>would get a lot more accomplished.
>
>Your points are well taken and I'll see what I can do towards this end as
>soon as I finish the training session I'm in that runs till the 20th.  The

Ok, thanks. Hopefully a couple more people will have gotten back to you
personally about either the application writing or the documentation.

>only thing that I (mildly) disagree with you about is that I said anything
>like "all relevant Linux users are male and in their early twenties."  I

That was mostly sarcastic, and to warn people not to make
overgeneralizations. I'll admit I was kind of surprised to see actual
statements about the gender/age of the linux community, but that's because
most people studiously avoid it because "nobody really knows." (Though I'll
admit that doesn't quite wash, given that plenty of people seem to "know"
and nobody's been arguing with them.)

>mentioned "primarily" male and young, which is pretty definitely true.  I
>think that when we deal with commercial entities it's important that we're
>very careful not to misrepresent our community or its relevance to them in
>any way.  It goes directly to our credibility.

That is a very important point to remember.

I'm starting to compile a list of documentation on linux advocacy on our
links page (not yet ready for the public, but you can take a look at it at
http://www.seul.org/what/links.html if you like), so at some point (later)
somebody should go through it and make sure the topic of "dealing with
commercial entities" is well-covered.

>--
>Doug Loss            The time for action is past!  Now
>dloss@csrlink.net    is the time for senseless bickering!
>(717) 326-3987          Ashleigh Brilliant

--Roger