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Avalith's blog of bloggy blogginess
Texas student given detention for using Linux in school
Written on Dec 17, 08 2:28 am | Technology 10 comments
| 0 | 0
| tags: linux operating system idiot teacher
quote "Karen"As an avid Linux user myself, I don't know whether to be outraged at this ignorant teacher's comments and (empty) threats or to just simply laugh. She's tried Linux in college, yet because she probably couldn't navigate out of /home/windowslover (the equivalent of C:\Users\Windowslover for you Windows types) and because the IT department in her school district preaches that Redmond is the Nazareth of operating systems, anything else has got to be illegal in her mind. Let me start debunking some of her ignorant statements in terms that those who are curious about Linux or only have a basic understanding of it can understand....observed one of my students with a group of other children gathered around his laptop. Upon looking at his computer, I saw he was giving a demonstration of some sort. The student was showing the ability of the laptop and handing out Linux disks. After confiscating the disks I called a confrence with the student and that is how I came to discover you and your organization. Mr. Starks, I am sure you strongly believe in what you are doing but I cannot either support your efforts or allow them to happen in my classroom. At this point, I am not sure what you are doing is legal. No software is free and spreading that misconception is harmful. These children look up to adults for guidance and discipline. I will research this as time allows and I want to assure you, if you are doing anything illegal, I will pursue charges as the law allows. Mr. Starks, I along with many others tried Linux during college and I assure you, the claims you make are grossly over-stated and hinge on falsehoods. I admire your attempts in getting computers in the hands of disadvantaged people but putting linux on these machines is holding our kids back.
This is a world where Windows runs on virtually every computer and putting on a carnival show for an operating system is not helping these children at all. I am sure if you contacted Microsoft, they would be more than happy to supply you with copies of an older verison of Windows and that way, your computers would actually be of service to those receiving them...
- "No software is free...": Oh really? Here are a few quick links: What Does Free Mean?, Free Software and the GNU Operating System, GNU General Public License. If there was no such thing as free software, then applications like the Mozilla Internet suite (Firefox, Thunderbird, etc.), Google Chrome, and Google Earth would have never been created, and only commercial Linux distributions like Red Hat and SUSE would be around.
- "I... tried Linux in college... the claims you make are grossly over-stated and hinge on falsehoods": This statement, my dear friends, is grossly ignorant and is entirely false. Linux has made great strides in the last few years. What was the latest Linux tech two years ago is now outdated, whereas what was the best of Microsoft two years ago is still the best of Microsoft. In some cases, such as Compiz Fusion, Linux has already surpassed Windows. The allowance of multiple workspaces was already a great step forward, but with this technology, Vista's Aero interface looks prehistoric compared to Microsoft's claims that it's the best interface out there.
- "Windows runs on virtually every computer...": Are we talking about the desktop market or the server market here? While Windows has the desktop market by the gonads, Linux has been spinning circles around Windows Server for ages in the server market. While servers aren't used for your normal day to day computing tasks, they're still computers. Be more specific and I might concede this point.
- "...putting on a carnival show for an operating system is not helping these children at all...": On the contrary. Linux is a free, unrestricted license to learn about how a computer truly works. As an educator, this person should be encouraging her students to try Linux when it's brought into the classroom so they can learn about it and make a decision for themselves, not deem it piracy and confiscate the discs. As the son of a professional educator, this infuriates me to know that there are people out there who have no problem being so ignorant and still call themselves educators when they force conformity on students instead of free thinking.
- "...if you contact Microsoft, they would ... provide you with copies of an older verison [sic] of Windows...": Sure, they'd provide you with copies of an older version of Windows, but they'd still charge you full price and make more money off of an outdated system they don't even support. Windows is not free unlike Linux; there is always a cost involved, whether it be hidden or slammed in your face.
In light of all this, the head of HeliOS is going to meet with both Ms. Karen and the superintendent of her school district after the winter holidays to discuss the matter. Prepare yourself, Karen, because you're about to get schooled.
Original post: Linux - Stop holding our kids back
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Avalith
Fort Myers, FL, 
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It is amazing how ignorant some of today's "educators" can truly be.
Anyone with a basic understanding of software, or who hasn't been under a rock since like the 80s would know that there is more-or-less no merit to any of her outrageous statements, and they are quite laughable.
I am extremely interested to see where this goes.
... Now being serious, what the hell? If you can't use your own OS here, then there's certainly a big problem.
By the way Avalith, I love you.