Free software holds kids back

[Agent]

http://linuxlock.blogspot.com/2008/1...kids-back.html

Absolute cracking read.

[chuckskull]

Ok, I don't use linux(I'm a gamer, sue me) but that attitude winds me up. As does most blind ignorance.

You'd think a teacher of all people would do at least some research before shooting off ranty emails and confiscating property

I hope he does meet her in her bosses office, sure it will be a very enlightening experience for her and an entertaining read

[2Cold Scorpio]

I found the incident with the teacher a bit funny. I can't really fault her for not knowing about Linux, and since you hear piracy talk everywhere these days, especially among the kids, I can see why it happened.

The response letter, though, I found overly fanatical and holier-than-thou. To quote a response from another forum I agree with: "The Starks guy, he was more of the Brainwashed fanatic kind, unable to see anything beyond his desire to spread what HE thinks is right, down to lying about it and it's advantages and whatnot". That's not as easily forgivable. He seems unable to accept some people may not know, or even care, about what Linux is. Not everyone is a computer addict like many of us.

[Lanky123]

But the teacher states 'Mr. Starks, I along with many others tried Linux during college' - doesn't sound like the completely computer illiterate type to me...so she is either lying or should at least know basic things about Linux after trying it (ie it IS free).

After being wound up by an email like that from an overzealous teacher IMHO the reply is probably justifiable, and at the very least excusable. No doubt he was somewhat ticked off (to put it lightly) when replying not just at the ignorance on display, but at being accused of illegal activity and 'holding kids back' just by letting them play with an alternative OS.

[Zadock]

'Mr. Starks, I along with many others tried Linux during college'

That makes it sound like it was one of those CRAZY things you do in your youth like experimenting with drugs... "Yeah I err... I tried linux when I was at uni... just casually I wasn't a regular user"

That is hilarious...

A mate of mine, his little sisters school has corporate sponsership as a school of business and IT excellence they teach them how to use windows, OSX and Linux and teach them the history. Quite unusual, quite cool to I think.

[directhex]

I found the incident with the teacher a bit funny. I can't really fault her for not knowing about Linux, and since you hear piracy talk everywhere these days, especially among the kids, I can see why it happened.

The response letter, though, I found overly fanatical and holier-than-thou. To quote a response from another forum I agree with: "The Starks guy, he was more of the Brainwashed fanatic kind, unable to see anything beyond his desire to spread what HE thinks is right, down to lying about it and it's advantages and whatnot". That's not as easily forgivable. He seems unable to accept some people may not know, or even care, about what Linux is. Not everyone is a computer addict like many of us.

Putting a kid in detention, taking his property, and threatening to call the cops is fine - but telling someone they're a dip**** isn't?

[Salazaar]

That makes it sound like it was one of those CRAZY things you do in your youth like experimenting with drugs... "Yeah I err... I tried linux when I was at uni... just casually I wasn't a regular user"

I've tried Linux now and again but it never really did much for me, that said I've still got an Ubuntu partition on the side and a Live DVD, 'for emergencies'.

I'd agree that Mr. Stark has a right to sound a bit fanatical in the face of those accusations, the least that teacher could have done was to research the subject before sending off emails like that.

[Zadock]

Putting a kid in detention, taking his property, and threatening to call the cops is fine - but telling someone they're a dip**** isn't?

That poor kid though! I bet he was all enthused when he went into school with his cds, thought he was doing his bit for the free software movement... only to be treated like a criminal! like the kid who deals cigarettes or pron to his peers... its shocking it what it is! Injustice.

[Fraz]

lols.

I really hated the ability of teachers to confiscate anything they saw fit to with no real reason given. Goddamn facists, the lot of them.

[2Cold Scorpio]

Putting a kid in detention, taking his property, and threatening to call the cops is fine - but telling someone they're a dip**** isn't?

The first was an honest mistake out if ignorance; the teacher obviously thought the student was passing out pirated software...not everyone gives a flip enough to actually care enough about Linux to learn about it--I'm sure she has more pressing things in her life on her mind.

Not to mention the student was obviously disturbing the class. You're there to learn (from the teacher!), not flock around another student's computer while he does something not class-related. Being put in detention for disturbing the class? Commendable; he should have shown his friends his Linux usage after class. Taking his property and threatening to call the cops...a little extreme, but I can easily see where she thought he was doing something majorly illegal. And with all the FUD surrounding piracy these days, I can understand her reaction, TBH. As I said before, not everyone is computer geeks like we are ; meaning not everyone knows (or likely cares) about Linux.

The reply letter is asinine, though...lambasting someone for not being a Linux fanatic and acting all high-and-mighty. That kind of attitude turns me off on the Linux community, to be honest. I'm half tempted to delete my Ubuntu install; that's how sick to my stomach that letter made me.

[badass]

The reply letter is asinine, though...lambasting someone for not being a Linux fanatic and acting all high-and-mighty. That kind of attitude turns me off on the Linux community, to be honest. I'm half tempted to delete my Ubuntu install; that's how sick to my stomach that letter made me.

IMO that's a bit silly - uninstalling something because of that letter.
However I must say I agree with you on the attitude within the Linux community. Its the users that put me right off. Fanaticism is very high, helpfullness is very low and very few guides are actually of any use to anyone since they never get someone that hasn't installed/set up XYZ software to read through it and follow it. ALso the attitude from knowledgable Linux types often really grates me as they are often anything but helpful.
There are of course exceptions to this rule - there are some very helpful people here but it's pretty rare.

[2Cold Scorpio]

IMO that's a bit silly - uninstalling something because of that letter.
However I must say I agree with you on the attitude within the Linux community. Its the users that put me right off. Fanaticism is very high, helpfullness is very low and very few guides are actually of any use to anyone since they never get someone that hasn't installed/set up XYZ software to read through it and follow it. ALso the attitude from knowledgable Linux types often really grates me as they are often anything but helpful.
There are of course exceptions to this rule - there are some very helpful people here but it's pretty rare.

I'm not going to...it was actually a jab at a similar statement you usually hear from the anti-Microsoft community every time they get some negative press. It *did* show how outraged I felt upon reading that letter. Besides, its not like I use it for anything other than messing about anyways.

Though it is letters like that one that bring up the old debate I've had with myself: who's more fanatical, the Linux community or the Macheads. lol (Just kidding!)

[directhex]

I'm not going to...it was actually a jab at a similar statement you usually hear from the anti-Microsoft community every time they get some negative press. It *did* show how outraged I felt upon reading that letter. Besides, its not like I use it for anything other than messing about anyways.

Though it is letters like that one that bring up the old debate I've had with myself: who's more fanatical, the Linux community or the Macheads. lol (Just kidding!)

Careful, don't summon them here :|

[Lee H]

Careful, don't summon them here :|

Don't worry, they're all messing with bootcamp and too busy fixing boot sectors and finishing vista installs on their macs.

[pumpman]

and loading their antivirus programmes now that it is cool to have an antivirus programme on a mac now

[TAKTAK]

and loading their antivirus programmes now that it is cool to have an antivirus programme on a mac now

don't you mean multiple?

apple recommended the use of about 50* at a time






*the amount may be inflated