Slashdot Mirror
Slashback: Moonbase, Schools, Entropia
Perhaps in a bit, though. texchanchan writes: "From the BBC: 'China will not be launching a manned mission to the Moon in the foreseeable future, according to Ouyang Ziyuan, chief scientist of China's Moon exploration programme... he said he wanted to clarify news reports in the Chinese media that Beijing would be putting a man on the Moon by 2010..."We will explore the Moon certainly," he said from his office in Beijing, "but with unmanned spacecraft."'"
Can I sign up to be a robot brain surgeon? ascii7 writes "Remember that story a while back about Project Entropia, the free MMRPG? Well, now it's in the commercial trial phase, and free for all to download. Get it at www.project-entropia.com"
Free Software Entrepreneurs, take note. llywrch writes with more information on the Microsoft effort to crack down on licensing in Northwest public school districts, as reported by Oregonian columnist Steve Duin, writing: "Most intriguingly, Microsoft's heavy-handed tactics have already started a backlash, with 16 school districts in central Iowa having 'completely dumped' Microsoft and migrated everything to Linux."
He sends some background details not in the column:
- This column generated the most feedback Duin has seen for any one of his columns to this time. (He has experienced the Slashdot effect first hand.)
- The Beaverton And Hillsboro school districts, two that have been targeted for the audit, apparently will comply quietly. Beaverton will because they have kept close enough tabs on software licenses to make it feasible (as well as officially banning all non Mac & MS Windows machines from their network). Hillsboro will because a certain microprocessor manufacturer based in that city can subsidise the costs of Microsoft software.
- Paul Nelson (one of the forces behind the Linux for public schools movement) has been urging more cooperation between public schools and local Linux user groups. ``My hope is that other LUGs out there would start hosting clinics. If you are from a school, contact your local user group and offer to host a clinic!" He is planning a demonstration of what Linux can do for schools this July 4, calling it Software Independence Day."
Apropos that, JDALaRose writes: "While it was discussed at some length in this Ask Slashdot, the Washington Post is running an article wherein a columnist gives his take on making the switch from Windows/MS Office to Linux/OpenOffice."
my school district is still on apple ][ machines for word processing in the english department...
needless to say, apple has not tried any heavy handed licensing tactics with them... YET
MARIJUANA, SHROOMS, X: ONLINE?! - E
You want to demo software on July 4th??!?!? Instead of drinking beer and bbq'ing? That will definitely show people that Linux users aren't communists!
ostiguy
I wonder, why is it called Entropia? Because it brings chaos (entropy) into the lives of the poor people who download the client?
Also, how long will it take the Entropia world to create Project Reality (the peak of technology, real world emulator!)?
;)
< )
( \
X
8====D
Could it be possible that the move towards "Free Software" is a result of its cost effectiveness rather than any particular sin of Microsoft? When you calculate the cost of licenses to cover an entire school district, $50 (if you buy an COTS version of RedHat, for example) beats $75 (guessing) x # of seats.
The kids still will be ill-prepared to work in any normal job, though, as Linux is nowhere near standard in the real life world.
I have been pwned because my
I like it. "Open Source: beating down the forces of tyranny." "Give me OS liberty, or give me ... well, Windows." "I regret that I have only one CPU to run with my OS." "We must all hang together, or certainly our PCs will all hang separately." And so on.
Perhaps we need a Boston Tea party sort of thing where we burn hundreds of Windows licenses.
Or not.
=brian
Quit WINEing and uhhhh WINE! :)
<This .sig left intentionally blank>
Fade in: Geeks huddled around microwave oven
All Singing: Oh say can you see...
Geek 1: Bruce, can you grab another Windows CD, this one's shot!
I have been pwned because my
Lord forbid any children be exposed to those awful satanic Sparcstations!!!
(J/K of course).
Well I work for an educational software company and we lost a large contract because a school switched from Windows to Linux and nothing would run.
Hey, wait a minute
None of these are new stories
Slashdot deja-vu
I thought Al Gore wrote snowcrash.
(Maybe if I add this line it will take 20 sec.)