Re: [seul-edu] Easy to use educational software

[Ben Armstrong <synrg@sanctuary.nslug.ns.ca>]

On Sun, Mar 03, 2002 at 11:59:34AM -0800, Chris Calise wrote:
> Ben, I did not know about SEUL till I started promoting open source here in
> Lane County, Oregon. I started UFDA as a way to hopefully change an industry
> that I feel is making end user products that are getting more complicated
> all the time (like setting the clock on a VCR!). I have been talking to lots
> of educators and keep running into the same argument about open source( too
> convoluted, no wizards for set-up, don't have time to learn, etc.) I feel
> that by reminding developers who their target audience is will keep software
> accessible to everyone. I applaud SEUL's effort to bring educational
> software to our children.

Reasonable enough.  I hope UFDA and SEUL can mutually benefit from a
relationship.  It sounds like both groups are after similar things.

I only asked because (and this is not directed at you or UFDA, it is just
something that has been bugging me) I am discouraged by the trend I see in
people doing "splinter" free software projects[0], each with their own
redundant administrative overhead, but all basically after the same thing.
Not that there is anything wrong with diversity.  (And a strong case can be
made, at least, for distinct groups taking local action in their own
geographic regions.) I don't know what it is, maybe NIH syndrome (Not
Invented Here) or maybe (as seems to be the case with UFDA) simply not
knowing who else is out there.

Anyway, I guess this latter point is what part of the raison d'être for
Schoolforge (see www.schoolforge.net if you haven't already).  I started out
a few years ago with my own project, Debian Jr.
(www.debian.org/devel/debian-jr) drawing inspiration and ideas from
seul-edu.  Now, in 2002, we have Schoolforge, through which I am entering
into relationships with new projects I really wasn't aware of before. 
Through these contacts I now have more resources at my fingertips, and am
more than ever confident that we (Debian Jr.) can see our goals realized,
while at the same time helping other groups realize theirs.

So, have a look at what SEUL is doing, and what other Schoolforge
organizations are doing, and see what you can share with them to accomplish
what you've set out to do.

Regards,
Ben Armstrong

[1] In particular, "splinter" distros, which start with a parent
    distribution such as Red Hat or Debian, add a thin layer of their
    own material, maybe a fancy installer, or a bundle of additional
    packages.  Every time I see one of these, I wonder why they didn't
    try to work within the distro itself to augment it.
-- 
    nSLUG       http://www.nslug.ns.ca      synrg@sanctuary.nslug.ns.ca
    Debian      http://www.debian.org       synrg@debian.org
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