Re: Spreading the word (was Re: [Fwd: Re: [seul-edu] Want to presentat LINUXWORLD NY/2002?])

[Doug Loss <dloss@suscom.net>]

Steelhead wrote:

> There was an ok response from a few few folks, more interest from the rank
> and file than from the Administrative types than from the Show managment.
>

So we still have some major advocacy to do.  If we can get some case studies on
our website we'll have some evidence to point to that Linux can work well in an
educational setting.  That's a hint, folks; if you're already using Linux at
your school, go fill out the case study form!  It's at
<http://www.seul.org/edu/casestudy.html>.  Also, if we can develop the canned
presentations that Joe suggested, we will be able to have a consistent message
at the various educational conferences we may attend.

> 1) Lack of familiarity to the decision makers.    There are many things being
> tossed at teachers and

> Administrators that require so much attention and energy, there is not much
> left for most to lean Linux.
>

Familiarity is something we can only work at gradually, I think.  We need to be
regular, persistent participants in some of these conferences so that people
gradually recognize Linux as educationally useful.

>
> 2) FUD.
>

Which can only be counteracted by telling the truth and correcting the wrong
messages when they're made.  Which can only be done if we're there.

>
> 3) No recognized "Out of the Box" solutions for the most basic school
> administration needs.
>

We have some administrative software listed in our list.  What are the needs
we're talking about?  Let's see if we can put together a group of Linux apps to
meet these needs (or as many as we can, at least).  Then we can load them on a
box and take them to these conferences and demonstrate Linux's ability to meet
the needs.

>
> 4) No "boxed software" to load in the classroom.
>

This is a perceptual problem, I think.  We should try to turn this argument on
its head by asking just what type of applications they want in the classroom,
and then pointing out that such apps (if it's true) are freely downloadable and
installable from the internet.  And that if the apps don't exactly meet their
needs, they're able to change them to do so, or to ask the maintainers of the
apps to make such changes for them.

>
> 5) No local expertise to help school folks understand and implement the most
> basic Linux solutions.
>

This is where our plan to contact and encourage LUGs to get involved with their
local schools could pay off.  Unfortunately, we haven't moved on this plan yet.
But it's something that I think could work well, especially in conjunction with
Joe's canned presentations idea.

>
> 6) No visible revenue stream for ED-Soft companies to port software to
> Linux.  (Known Brands such as Jump-Start, Davidson, etc...)  Without a
> defined revenue stream, there is no reason to dump money into making a port,
> and they refuse to give away the right to port to Linux (ala LOKI) on the
> possibility that the Linux Software will cannibalize revenues from the MS
> and Apple versions.
>

That's a  chicken and egg sort of problem.  But as far as I know, Loki doesn't
require companies to give away their Linux rights.  I'm pretty sure Loki
contracts with the companies to do the Linux ports and to sell the Linux
versions under its brand name, which gives them a royalty (or something) for
each copy sold.

--
Doug Loss                 Always do right.  This
Data Network Coordinator  will gratify some people
Bloomsburg University     and astonish the rest.
dloss@bloomu.edu                Mark Twain