On 25/05/10 9:05 AM, [email protected] wrote: > All this points out that we the Linux (Ubuntu) users must be active not > only within our own group(s) but engage direct with the community in > general, visit schools, educate hardware vendors and lobby with the > Australian Federal and State Governments.
One alternative is for families eligible for FTB Part A (or independent students) to claim the Education Tax Refund towards a netbook/notebook running Ubuntu and take it to school instead of or alongside their DER funded netbook. Can claim up to $750 refund for $1500 spend for a secondary student or $375 for $750 spend for primary. Best to see your accountant for more info. http://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/content.asp?doc=/content/00166469.htm&page=1 I think the problem with most of the DER based schemes is not their choice of Windows7/Netbooks but that they do not recognise that personal computing can and should involve personal choices. They have been used to extend the jurisdiction of school mandatory filtering and software management into homes. Would anyone here be willing to assist an education department prepare an Ubuntu netbook with remote kill, locked down applications, mandatory internet filtering and other unknown privacy infringements and restrictions. I wouldn't. It wouldn't be in the spirit of free software and would offer few real advantages over Windows. But that is the sort of environment being shipped. So is the problem the choice of Windows or the lack of choice for students? BTW the opposition will cancel the DER if elected. -- ubuntu-au mailing list [email protected] https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-au
