Computer-based learning (the OLPC project is just one example) could be as revolutionary as the printing press, because it could free not just education, but the whole communication process from the confines of paper. Users can record and display information in many forms with many different types of software. Text based information tends to be formatted in a portrait orientation because that's what we're used to using, but it's a pretty trivial issue. After, most text documents can be reformatted for a landscape mode to better fit a small screen like the XO if that's what the user wants. Besides, the XO can manage portrait documents more easily than most computers because it can be turned sideways in its ebook mode.
The desire to print rather than reading on the screen is a habit most of us have learned over a lifetime of using books, newpapers, etc. to gather information. Even children who grow up with computers spend far less time doing intensive reading on a screen than they do with books, newspapers, magazines, and worksheets. Literacy for existing generations is still paper-based, but if the OLPC and other computer based learning projects become widespread, that could change. If it does, the goal of a paper-free office (and paper-free school) may no longer be an illusion. For long documents html is a pain. Line breaks are different on different computers, there are no natural page breaks, and printed versions rarely look like they should. Many sites break up documents into several pieces, so to download and save the entire thing you have to have a way to paste them back together again. Pdf is so popular because it really is like electronic printing, and unless someone comes up with a truly open source alternative that works at least as well, I suspect that it will continue to be the de facto standard. It may be more realistic to develop better free and open source tools for working with pdf, rather than hoping that something else will come along. There are quite a few that do a few things, but nothing that has the comprehensive power of acrobat, or is as easy to use. Maybe some budding programming genius who grows up with an XO will finally create one! Jim joanna burgess wrote: > Hi. I'm weighing in on this as a classroom teacher...one of the major > problems with getting rid of paper is the lack of other resources and > knowledge of open source ed programs like Moodle that would > significantly reduce the number of copies made, and yes...the reliance > on software that is paper based. Teachers have so little time during > the day and those not comfortable with trying new formats tend to > stick to what they know, even if it turns out to me more > difficult/expensive in the long run. We're definitely aware of the > waste (and the horrid piles of paper everywhere) and I often think of > all the other things that could be purchased for the kids if we didn't > have to spend so much money on ink and cartridges. > > -Joanna > > On Fri, Sep 12, 2008 at 2:07 PM, Tom Potts > <[EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>> > wrote: > > Wendy, > The hardest thing about getting paper out of schools is most of > the software > they use is 'paper' based. Office, PDF's etc are all 'paper based' > - say A4 > which is exactly the wrong way to fit on your computer screen so > you have to > print it! > Until people can be taught not to use 'paper' based formats things > will always > be printed - a bit of a vicious circle. > The answer is of course is html > a few ramblings at this link here > http://www.100297.itsosbroadband.co.uk/Paperless/The_Paperless_Office.html > > Tom > > _______________________________________________ > Olpc-open mailing list > [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/olpc-open > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Olpc-open mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/olpc-open > -- -- Community Legal Assistance Society Per: James Sayre Suite 300, 1140 West Pender Street Vancouver, B.C. V6E 4G1 Tel: 604 685-3425 (68-LEGAL) Fax: 604 685-7611 Toll Free BC: 1-888-685-6222 E-Mail Address: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Alternate Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] or [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ Olpc-open mailing list [email protected] http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/olpc-open
