[Fwd: Enterprise techniques can impact linux in k12]

[Doug Loss <dloss@csrlink.net>]

This is forwarded from the lxk12 mailing list.  I've invited the people
there to look us over and join our efforts.  I've also asked Randy
Wright to put us in contact with his project.

Randy Wright wrote:
> 
> Suddenly, Linux has the attention of application developers. All of the
> major database engines fighting to get into the exploding linux market
> place. I think this will affect K12 computing.
> 
> Last night, April Dunford from IBM's Toronoto offices came to New York to
> make a presentation to NYLUG. Her talk was on IBM's DB2 product, a
> database system I associate with mainframes and financial institutions.
> 
> The business case that was made inside of IBM in order to create a Linux
> version of DB2 included some interesting statistics from IDC. Dunford
> pointed out that in 1997, Linux shipments made up about 6% of the server
> market. In 1998, that figure reached 17.2%. All other Unix shipments
> combined were 17.4% of servers. The Linux figures do not include
> downloads, $1.99 CDs, nor do they account for the fact that a single linux
> CD can be used to create an unlimited number of servers.
> 
> The amazing thing about this is that between 1997 and 1998, Linux market
> share tripled. If the market share for Linux once agin triples, Linux will
> own a majority of the market, at 52%. There are reasons to think that
> linux might indeed continue on this course of rapid market share growth.
> 
> I also think that there will now be an increasing flow of applications for
> Linux in k12. The technology that is behind the so called 'enterprise'
> applications has involved multiuser access to databases. This technolgy
> has not been affordable enough to use in k12 schools until recently.
> However, now that it is widely available and I think it can transfrorm
> classroom computing from an old model of personal computing, such as
> wordprocessing, to a new model of interpersonal computing with
> collaborative projects as a major feature of k12 computing.
> 
> For example, I have been working on an open source project where a
> literacy tool is under construction. In this application called "Streams
> On line", a student can use a web form to type in a written work. The work
> can include HTML, pictures and other multimedia.  Once the work is
> submitted and approved, other students can view the work and attach
> comments to the work. Any student can revise his or her work, and the
> system keeps the old revisions, thus building a history that allows the
> teachers and students to review the student's writing processes. This tool
> is set up such that students in different schools can collaborate
> together. This package is actually just a database application that uses
> 'enterprise' style replication techniques to allow interschool
> collaboration.
> 
> Each of the major database purveyors helps market applications that
> run on their systems. They are now searching for ways to make a buck
> on the huge new Linux market place. I think we will see lots of
> enterprise techniques applied to classrooms.
> 
> --randy
> 
> __________________________________________________________
> rw26@eagle.lrw.net                http://www.lrw.net/~rw26
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-- 
Doug Loss                 A life spent making mistakes is not only
Data Network Coordinator  more honorable, but more useful than a
Bloomsburg University     life spent doing nothing.
dloss@bloomu.edu                G. B. Shaw