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Are Colleges Helping to Maintain the Microsoft Monopoly?
lexus99 asks: "Recently, while attending college and wanting to take tests in order to avoid taking basic computer courses, I have signed up for a few SAM (Skills Assessment Manager) tests. What really surprised me is that these tests are entirely based upon Microsoft products (Windows XP and Office XP). Note that this course is -required- before taking any any of the more advanced courses. Is this not a clear cut case of U.S. Colleges forcing its students to exclusively use Microsoft's software? Does Microsoft pay for this 'privledge', or do the schools get some type of M$ discounts? I don't believe that I will have any problem passing these tests, as I frequently use M$ software in my workplace, but I cannot help but feel insulted that I have to take them in order to take more advanced UNIX courses." This issue is a lot more complex than it sounds. Many colleges fall into Microsoft's software because they do get decent volume discounts and Microsoft provides them with decent service, so why change what works? However, with the new licensing schemes that Microsoft is beginning to push, maybe we'll see some change in this area in the near future. Have any of you seen evidence of Microsoft worming it's way into your college courses?
Absolutely no offense intended to anybody, but it always seemed to me that RMS is more pro-RMS than he is anything else. His ideas on freedom, in particular, seem quite unusual. For example, he advocates absolute freedom in one breath and tells everybody what to do in the next. He's very odd, in my opinion.
I write in my journal
Which partially explains why business school graudates the country over are idiots. They may not have been born idiots, but they are clearly taught to be.
"Thou shalt not think for thyself".
That sums up the entirety of the US educational system-- with the exception of maybe 6 colleges and 3 high schools in the country.
Yeah, and you guys panned the ipod too: http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23
No, its just a good rule of thumb:
Any "Educator" who teaches a programming classes and requires a specific compiler is an incompetent idiot and you should not believe a word he says.
Anyone who was competent would teach the LANGUAGE and not the PRODUCT.
Yeah, and you guys panned the ipod too: http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23
He defines "Free software" as "nobody should be allowed to make any money on any software, ever".
Free as in totalitarian.
Fortunately, most developers have enough self esteem to not fall for this totalitarianism wrapping itself in the word freedom.
Yeah, and you guys panned the ipod too: http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23