priority #1 in edu software: good and easy visual multimedia developer's tools

[Roman Suzi <rnd@sampo.karelia.ru>]

hi!

TOC:

1) IQmeter
2) multimedia will not ever be freeware (homeopatic FUD ;-)
2-a) anyone know how to deal with 2)? mail me.
3) possible solution to point 2) : $subj

---------------------------------------------------------------

Discussion here is too lot for me to read all these busy days,
but I want to put some comment.

Ye, its nice idea to put

userIQmeter (TM)

somewhere on the screen. It will be  like  a  CPU/memory  usage
meter, but based on the number  of  hot  keys  pressed,  xterms
opened and the complexity of commands issued ;-)

Thus we will  completely  distruct  student  from  their  tasks
toward new goal of raising userIQ...

What I like in Unix is the ability to stop pupils running  Doom
while they must do something else. Or delete Program Files when
they arent supposed to do.

Windows 95 is even more vulnerable  than  Macintosh  for  those
things, IMHO.

So,  Linux  is  the  right  way:  cron  entry   to   close/open
/usr/games, superior file protection, etc...

When I popup  (1998,  May)  with  my  idea  of  edulinuxational
web-site, I was met with letters from Gnome  developers  to  do
whatever I plan based on Gnome. Since then I have not done  any
developing - only promotional info to encourage developers  and
commercial    developers     to     do     their     multimedia
CDs platform-independent...


So, lets go with Gnome as a standard.

However, other interfaces must be also considered  and  core  +
frontends thinking is fair enough.

As for Gnome 'normal' interface, its beautiful and tasteful.  I
wish Gnome was more stable and didn't crash so much.

Well, open source made serious advancements in
1) open protocols (for the Internet)
2) open OS (Linux/FreeBSD)
3) major software areas (Netscape, databases, etc.)

But so  far  open  source  has  NO  (AFAIK)  followers  in  the
edutainment sphere and multimedia.

Why is that?
Because art is opensource in itself, but artists must  sell  to
live (they can't do living on consultancy or charity!!!)

To create a multimedia product like  'Living  books'  are  many
people add up. And the underlying tools could be opensource and
more, but not the content!

So far, Open Source also  failed  in  maintaining  data  format
standards  open:  thus  people  save  their  office   work   in
proprietary .doc format, etc. This will change, of course.

However, multimedia creations  will  never  be  freeware!  They
can't be! And this is a major brake  for  Linux  in  education:
Windows/Macs are deployed due to wide acceptance by  multimedia
vendors...

I know, its the major factor, that brings  promotional  efforts
of Linux in education (in Russia we have another factor:  Linux
is english, Mac and Win are russified.)

I say this not because I want to spread FUD: on the contrary. I
want to hear critical thoughts and  ideas  how  this  could  be
dealed with.

So, the main reason to choose Linux is its free  nature  -->  0
cost.

Well, these thoughts dont give me rest for  a  long  time.  And
this mailing list is like a candle in the  stormy  sea  of  A&M
(apple&microsoft).

If somebody can provide me with arguments about multimedia  and
a choice  of  computer  platform  in  schools  (pre-higher,  of
course) - I will be very  grateful  and  put  on  my  (russian)
web-site         with          proper          acknowledgement.
(mailto:rnd@sampo.karelia.ru)

In the edu software domain I see something like HyperCard to be
the most needed open source application: having  this  we  will
observe endless enthusiasm and creativeness.

It MUST be open source to ensure its stay for a long time!

I know, there are some commercial things like MetaCard. But  we
need  really  high-quality  and  extensible   authorware-maker:
visual programming tool!

That MUST be a NUMBER ONE priority!

I hope, you agree. Without the EASY  and  EXTENSIBLE  tool,  we
can't hope to see Linux in the educational mainstream.

That is my vision of how we can destroy the FUD outlined above.

*

As for wishlists, I saw one somewhere: it  had  a  very  sparse
educational sector... oh... where was that? Application (to  be
asked to be ported) were listed and people  voted  for  one  or
another or for 'surfer defined'... Does somebody know, where is
that place in the  web?  (it  was  advertized  on  slashdot  or
freashmeat 2 months(?) ago or more...)

-- 
Roman A. Suzi
 -- Petrozavodsk -- Karelia -- Russia --
    -- powered by Linux RedHat 5.1 --

P.S. I am sorry: I have too many topics in one letter ;-)