On 8/28/07, hard wyrd <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> However, this trend is not yet being embraced totally on the countryside.
> Here in Cagayan de Oro, I've only known one dev outfit that has turned to
> FOSS and considering for a total conversion to FOSS-based solutions.

Unless our indirect business partner (BSA) will start raiding the
companies that uses pirated softwares in Cagayan De Oro City or in the
Mindanao area in general, the use of proprietary only software will
still be tolerated.

> I totally agree. And you know why? A lot of schools concentrate on specific
> products to use in their computer and laboratory subjects. Try to take a
> look at some prospecta from known colleges, institutes, and unis. Most
> operating system fundamentals discuss on DOS and Windows... You'll also
> clearly see topics like "Microsoft Word", "Excel", "Powerpoint", "Web Design
> with Macromedia Dreamweaver", and so on and so forth. What should have been
> better will be something like "Introduction to Wordprocessors", "Using
> Spreadsheets", "Presentation basics", "Advanced Web Design" and so on. That
> way, any type of application that fits the bill will apply.

You're right there and it's pretty obvious to most if not all schools
that offers office productivity subjects.  They're actually selling
the use of a particular proprietary product and not the tool in
general.

> Then again, most
> schools will also reason out that they are doing so because what is being
> used in the industry are those same tools. Adding to that, most schools are
> also M$ partners, recipients of M$ grants and so on. Though its not bad to
> support for the welfare of the academic sector, however, there are instances
> that corporate donors also tend to influence the recipient school's academic
> programs.

This is the marketing strategy of M$.  Unless the management of the
schools are open minded and willing to teach their students on Open
Standards and a balance opportunity for students to learn both the
proprietary software and F/OSS in parallel, they won't accept the
offer of M$ to be an M$ only products.

Another thing also is that most teachers are already lazy enough to
learn new things.  They even don't want to update their lesson plans.
So, when the school management calls a meeting with their teachers if
they're going to adopt or probably teach some F/OSS applications to
their students, they would vote not to.  Another reason would be that
the teachers doesn't even know anything that there are F/OSS.  The
worst reality is that some teachers that teaches computer related
subjects doesn't even have computers to use and doesn't know deeply
even the M$ products.
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