Are Teachers against open source software?

[SteeleDragon78]

i found this little nugget on slashdot this morning, and it kinda pissed me off. not sure of everyones feelings on free, open source software, but this teacher seems to truely not understand free epression, nor the advances in programing that have taken place. /gripe.

(this is not intended to be a debate on linux vs. windows vs. unix etc just something that kinda irked me.)

[dendawg]

Assuming that this exchange is true, the teacher comes off as clueless, while the Linux guy comes off as a condescending, obnoxious prick.

Why am I skeptical about the truth of this? it's because of the characterization of both people named above. To me they appear to be stereotypical archetypes, rather than real people.

I could be wrong, but that's just my

[Dreamstalker]

I was upbraided by the owner of "repair shop from hell" for installing Linux, simply because I found that in a lot of cases Linux can read hard drives that Windows can't. I wasn't trying to drop FOSS on customer computers, just taking a tried-and-true route with the shop rig which I built.

Although it is true that a number of OSS converts, especially on Slashdot, come across as arrogant pricks.

That said, I believe the teacher was in the wrong for confiscating discs without asking what they were (maybe she assumed it was pirated--only pirated software can be shared yannow ).

[Greenday]

Well, the teacher's union does not force teachers to use Windows. That part of the author's response is a load of crap. All of my chem professors use Macs. Not one uses Windows.

So considering the author does NOT know his stuff, it really calls into question just how real that article is.

[Pedersen]

So considering the author does NOT know his stuff, it really calls into question just how real that article is.

To be fair: The fact that the author is an arrogant prick with more than a touch of ignorance does not mean that the exchange didn't happen.

Personally, I doubt the veracity of the story, but can't quite say why. There's something about it that just doesn't ring true. Something about the response from the author just feels false.

Really wish I could say what/why.

[One-Fang]

"I tried Linux in College"? Ah, didn't we all? What free and funky days those were! LOL

[LionMan]

"I tried Linux in college, but I didn't install."

The worst part is when you're truely hooked and find yourself doing BSD at 3am.

[Greenday]

[QUOTE=Pedersen;463764]To be fair: The fact that the author is an arrogant prick with more than a touch of ignorance does not mean that the exchange didn't happen./QUOTE]

I'm not saying that means it didn't happen. I'm just saying that since he is an arrogant prick it makes me somewhat question if things really were as he said.

[Pedersen]

An update: Now I have to believe it more, since the blog author has posted an update that sounds quite credible.

The Blog Entry

[One-Fang]

Oh dear.

A warning that you really must be careful what you blog about. It's good that this guy had the decency to keep it anonymous - some people don't. With a readership he himself describes as "in the dozens", he couldn't possibly have expected the kind of take-off that story ended up getting. I can easily see how this could have been a great deal nastier.

[Chanlin]

This is an excellent example of what happens when you jump to conclusions. It's nice that it has a happy ending.

[PepperElf]

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..."

Yeah... just ask microsoft to give you a free copy of older software! I'm sure they'll be quick to jump on that one.

The other irony is that she first states that she doesn't think it's legal... but then admits that she had tried it herself.

Now granted I didn't have much luck with linux either... but I don't blame the software, I just didn't know much on how to use it.

however... i think she should have actually done her research BEFORE threatening him with suggested legal action. It does make her come off as not knowing much about software or computers, which may be the case.

(but hey, yay for not being tied to ms )

[Chanlin]

<snip> not knowing much about software or computers, which may be the case.

I would say this is true of a majority of the population in the world.

[One-Fang]

Which is fine, as the majority of the population are not threatening legal action against people and harassing them for doing something perfectly fine and normal that the person is merely ignorant about.

Ignorance is okay. Nobody knew anything till we learned. Action such as taken here, without doing the barest minimum of research about it first to see what the facts are, is not.

[Evil Queen]

"I tried Linux in college, but I didn't install."

I tried Drugs in college, but I didn't inhale.

Linux Ubuntu is free to posess and give away; hell, that's how I got several of MY friends on it. Just go to their website and hit the "Send me a copy!" button.