On Fri, 28 Dec 2001 22:51:54 -0600, "Rob" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> On Fri, 28 Dec 2001 16:14:17 -0500, Samuel W. Heywood wrote: >>> Sam Heywood, >> BTW, I wish someone would write a book on "Linux for Dummies" that would >> be just as easy to understand and just as informative as the dummies' >> books for DOS and Windows. >> Thanks for your questions and comments, >> Sam Heywood <snip> > I would like to learn Linux, and was given copies of Mandrake, Red Hat, > Slackware, and Phatlinux. Also I bought Openlinux for Dummies and Slackware > for Dummies, and some other learn Linux books. Being a newbie to computers > in general, I didn't want to screw up my ancient, old computer with some- > thing unfamiliar having just learned windoze and dos. But I have even found > those books incomprehensible. <snip> I wish the state supported community colleges and universities around here would offer courses in Linux. The only things they want to teach about computers are courses that are either all Windows-oriented for the students who are studying for a career in business, or Mac-oriented for the relatively few highly talented artsy types who want to get into commercial art. The official position of the state supported educational institutions is that their purpose is to train people in the knowledge and skills currently in demand by industry and business and commerce. It is not their purpose to teach students what they want to learn about, but rather to teach them what is considered best for them as far as their potential for being hired in a well-paying job is concerned. Also, this is what the taxpayers expect in return for funding the educational system so that their progeny and their economy can prosper and grow, blah...blah...blah, etc. This kind of philosophy of education tends to support the monopolistic enterprise of maintaining the defacto status-quo of the Windows psuedo-standards. The concept tends to inhibit and repress any thoughts about innovation and change. What is wrong with computer-science students? Why can't they be like "normal" students and become radical and rebellious and demand all kinds of changes in the system? Comments anyone? Sam Heywood -- This mail was written by user of The Arachne Browser - http://arachne.cz/
