bridge to Linux; QZB goals rethinking

[rnd@sampo.karelia.ru]

hi, all!

While thinking on the usefullness of QZB project today  I  came
to one thought which I want to share with you.

I myself came to Linux via a  bridge:  I  tried  to  understand
32-bit programming with help of DJGPP environment. And that was
how I understood that DOS is not an appropriate platform.

So, my "conversion" to UNIX, no, to  GNU  world  of  Linux  was
facilitated by that intermediate step. I was dissatisfied  with
all that memory models and such so I though a  flat  memory  is
much better thing. But then, when I found I can't compile  some
programs for DOS due to lack of advanced OS  features,  I  just
came to Linux and burnt my bridge...

I think, education system needs the same thing... Some  bridge,
which leads from dissatisfaction to  partial  satisfaction  and
view of better world... (if by `better` we  do  not  understand
`installed at every fool's computer`.)

Why I even have such thoughts?

One example. Here in Russia we have  a  need  for  GOOD  school
administration programs, such as 'schedule' and related  stuff.
And there are plenty  of  them  for  DOS  and  Windows...  None
perfect, as usual, and all of them commercial or shareware...

And development efforts are  still  going  on  and  for  D.O.S.
platform! Such a waste of talents!

I do not know the solution to this. Probably, we have too  many
typical situations in Russia than in the rest of the world:

IBM PC - QBASIC - NortonCommander - Windows - MSW
       - Logo                               - MSExcel
       - Pascal                             - MSWorks
            - Lexicon


And this makes me thinking. Isn't my dream about QZB  based  on
XML something too outlandish? Something  so  far,  that  people
will not understand me?

These thoughts do not add motivation, that is  why  I  want  to
share them  -  probably  I  will  hear  some  encouragement  or
suggestions.

I do not want QZB to be yet  another  thing.  I  want  to  make
something really SIMPLE and  yet  superior  to  most  solutions
available...

Any ideas are welcome!


Sincerely yours, Roman Suzi

--
Russia * Karelia * Petrozavodsk
Thursday, January 21, 1999 * Powered by Linux RedHat 5.1
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