This is a great idea, but perhaps one more suited to the silver surfers, rather than those of school-going age.
There may well be a somewhat lukewarm response from schools, since they are all geared up to teach computer skills which the kids will need when they go looking for jobs. This means they will have to be proficient with Windows, MS Office, Outlook, etc., so Linux may seem something of a distraction. Where there is a crying need for education and training though is with the older generation. This group is not only becoming a significant sector of the Internet user community, it is also largely untainted by the indoctrination of the Evil Empire. For the most part, they also require low-cost computing solutions, so Linux is a very attractive option. I tried to get something like this going in our local library a while back. They have a computer suite which is somewhat underused, so I suggested the idea to them. I didn't specifically say that the emphasis would be on Linux-based systems and was quite happy to talk about Windows as well. However, although the head librarian was enthusiastic about the idea, her boss at SKDC seemed determined to throw every obstacle in the way that was possible. We had Health & Safety issues (in a public library?), certification of trainers, insurance - the list went on. Eventually, I gave up. But lo and behold, a couple of months later, the library was advertising free computer basics courses for pensioners and retired people, run by the local technical college. A win of sorts I suppose. But Linux is definitely not on the agenda. I'm now working up quite a good conspiracy theory to launch in a viral email shortly. It's based on the idea that Redmond have secretly installed mind-control software inside all the PC's used by government and local councils. Tinfoil hats, anyone? Dave > > Subject: > [Peterboro] Meeting Venues, was Re: The use of Linux > From: > Mark Rogers <m...@quarella.co.uk> > Date: > Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:52:01 +0000 > To: > Peterborough LUG - No commercial posts <peterboro@mailman.lug.org.uk> > > To: > Peterborough LUG - No commercial posts <peterboro@mailman.lug.org.uk> > > > This use of Linux thread ties in quite nicely with a chat I was having > with Ben Hayes this morning. > > What would be the general opinion of trying to hold PLUG meetings in a > school or college as a kind of "evening class"-cum-PLUG-meet? Ie > making a specific attempt to try to educate people (not so much about > the "why" they should use FOSS, more initially about they "how" to use > FOSS). There must be people who would be keen to go beyond the IT > skills of using Excel to other tasks and with other operating systems. > > If we can get them young we can try to send them out into the world > with an open mind. > > I'm not sure if or how it would work, but as we're looking for a venue > anyway I thought it might be somewhere we could try? _______________________________________________ Peterboro mailing list Peterboro@mailman.lug.org.uk https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/peterboro
