Slashdot Mirror
Macedonia Deploys 5,000 Ubuntu Desktops in Schools
vladoboss writes "The latest GNOME Journal is running a story about the deployment of 5000 Ubuntu desktops in public schools. The Republic of Macedonia is a small country in Southern Europe with a population of around 2 million. Internet penetration is only around 5% and software piracy rate is rampant. Also, the government does not play any major role in the development of the ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) and a private sector is dominated by Microsoft technologies. Given the circumstances, one would not expect any free software related stories to make the headlines. Yet the presence of a small volunteer organization by the name Free Software Macedonia is making a big difference in this small country."
Due to pressure by large countries to honour patents and copyrights, poor countries are all switching to free software. The strict enforcement of copyrights is the best thing that can ever happen to the Free Software movement and to the poor, it is a godsend.
Oh well, what the hell...
software piracy rate is rampant
Stop it. Stop it, I say. I can't stand the words "rampant" and "piracy" in the same sentence anymore. And besides, how can a rate be rampant?
The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
Unless you are programming or "forced" to deal with the command line (not likely), I don't see much major relearing going on moving from Linux to MS or the other way around when it comes to office apps (OO to MSOffice or the other way around) - it's mostly point and click with similiar interfaces. Also learning to use the web (since they have low internet penetration), which is pretty much the same experience for any GUI system.
Sometimes there is more relearning between versions of an App than there is between two different apps that serve the same purpose.
The other thing I imagine they can use is educational software - I should check the article if they deployed Ubuntu or Edubuntu.
I wonder if the free educational software in the OS world could provide schools lots of savings?
This is exactly the sort of initiative that is needed in poorer countries. The reason so many people remain poor around the world is that they don't have skills that are of value in the global marketplace, and for the most part they don't have the opportunity to get those skills. When you get the kids wired, they get the opportunity to learn the same skills that people in wealthier countries make dang sure to give their own kids - and we're all the better off for it.
If you build it, they will come...
37.5% of them won't have to re-learn anything, because that is their unemployment rate. (SOurce-CIA Factbook:http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factb ook/geos/mk.html)
Perhaps free software will create jobs. The opportunity is certainly there.
I fear that these Macedonian kids are going to grow up with higher intellects than people who post on slashdot explaining what a GUI is and using terms like "root editor". Who knows, these kids may actually grow up to be "highly skilled technicians". It's a lot better than dumbed down power users with no idea what they are talking about.
I mean seriously, American children should have more of this. Challenge them. I sound like my dad but kids these days spend more time BS'ing about what they don't know instead of actually learning it. I feel sorry for my country. We put so much effort into convincing our kids how great our country is and how smart they are for being able to turn on a computer. We should be teaching them skills that will enable them to compete in the world. I say good for Macedonian.
Beer! It's what's for breakfast!
Second, Gnome/KDE, it does not really make that much of a difference. ubuntu, kubuntu, both look nice, can run browsers, office software, software development software and definately a heck more than they would have if they were to use licensed payware.
On se Internetz nobody noes your German.
Follow the link to the macedonian FOSS site and look closely at the yellow box in the upper left corner, then click on it and read.
F.Y.R.O.M. is the name that the European Commission kindly asks us all to use, because of a spat with Greece over what the term "Macedonia" actually refers to. The Greeks claim that Macedonia is in fact a region spanning parts of Greece, "the F.Y.R.O.M" and Bulgaria, IIRC. The Macedonian people refer to their country as "Macedonia", just as Americans refer to the country they live in as "America", despite the fact that the term encompasses vast areas clearly beyond the borders of the U.S.A.
It is of course, no factual error to call the country F.Y.R.O.M. But you probably don't go around saying that Lhasa is in China, do you?
This is not a phenomenon localised to America, it is simply caused by people only being familiar with the character set they know. Until central Europeans in general learn the difference between "w" and "v" in English, they have no right to lecture English speakers for not being able to pronounce their own additions to Latin script. While we are discussing ignorance in pronunciation, I think you are probably not aware that most American accents are Rhotic, i.e. they would pronounce the two instances of the letter r that you added as if they were at the front of words. Thus, B-[ir]-l-[ir]-ni would only in fact be pronounced like the Hungarian Bölöni by an Englishman, a New Zealander or an Australian. Pronounced by an American this name would just sound plain awful (though insistently this applies to most words Americans pronounced) with lound rs and far too much time would be spent pronouncing the awkward rl and rn consonant transitions.
When Argumentum ad Hominem falls short, try Argumentum ad Matrem
It's not a matter of political correctness. It's a matter of a Serbian nation making territorial demands in Greece. How would you like it if Canada renamed southern Quebec 'New York' and started making territorial claims on New York state?
Vlakas Amerikanos.
2.000.000 population, 5% internet penetration, 5.000 Ubuntu desktops -- instant 5% market share if you look at it one way.
No wonder this makes headlines.
"Good news, everyone!"