Followup To "When Teachers Are Obstacles To Linux"

An couple of anonymous readers wrote in to let us know about a followup to last Wednesday's story of the teacher who didn't believe in free software. The Linux advocate who posted the original piece has cooled off and graciously apologized for going off half-cocked (even though the teacher had done the same), and provided a little more background which, while not excusing the teacher's ignorance, does make her actions somewhat more understandable. Ken Starks has talked with the teacher, who has received a crash education in technology over the last few days — Starks is installing Linux on her computer tomorrow. He retracts his insinuations about Microsoft money and the NEA. All in all he demonstrates what a little honest communication can do, a lesson that all of us who advocate for free software can take to heart. "The student did get his Linux disks back after the class. The lad was being disruptive, but that wasn't mentioned. Neither was the obvious fact that when she saw a gaggle of giggling 8th grade boys gathered around a laptop, the last thing she expected to see on that screen was a spinning cube. She didn't know what was on those disks he was handing out. It could have been porn, viral .exe's...any number of things for all she knew. When she heard that an adult had given him some of the disks to hand out, her spidey-senses started tingling. Coupled with the fact that she truly was ignorant of honest-to-goodness free software, and you have some fairly impressive conclusion-jumping. In a couple of ways, I am guilty of it too."

Comments

Cheaper by the dozen

[mcgrew]

So boasting a stunning readership in the dozens

Not today!

"Why did you throw me to the wolves like that?"

Priceless! IMO she deserved it. She should have mentioned the kid's being disruptive in the first place, and not accused Helios of malfeasance.

I'd like to see a Windows-free educational system. I can't see my tax dollars wasted on something unnecessarily expensive when the money couold go somewhere more necessary, like fixing the buildings or paying the teachers better. If they were better paid, perhaps we wouldn't have such incompetent ones, and I say that as a dad who fought my own school district when my now grown kids were in school. Of every ten teachers I've met, one MIGHT have been a good one.

Re:Cheaper by the dozen

[plague3106]

I'd like to see a Windows-free educational system.

Why? So your favorite OS can be instilled much the same way you hate how Windows is instilled?

I can't see my tax dollars wasted on something unnecessarily expensive when the money couold go somewhere more necessary, like fixing the buildings or paying the teachers better.

Schools don't pay anywhere close to full price for their licenses.

If they were better paid, perhaps we wouldn't have such incompetent ones, and I say that as a dad who fought my own school district when my now grown kids were in school. Of every ten teachers I've met, one MIGHT have been a good one.

I believe the fault there is how education is being paid for. People (rightfully) don't want to pay any more in taxes than they already do. Some, like myself, don't want to pay at all for someone else's kids education. Ya, ya, supposedly it "benefits" me in some way. Until someone can argue specifics and not generalities (my son might be a doctor that saves your life! Maybe, but more likely not.), I think parents should pay for thier own kids schooling. If schools actually had to compete for teachers, I think we'd find many more good teachers. As it is, most choose to use the "free" school system, and thus reap the "benefits."

Teachers have underwear

[Gizzmonic]

There's this totally hot teacher that I want to bone, do you think I should suggest installing Linux on her computer?

Very Dumb

[Anonymous Coward]

This teacher is publicly self-humiliating herself. And the whole world is watching. I am surprised how politely the people from the Linux distro gave her a reply back. Indeed Open-Source stuff is maintained by brilliant individuals.

But this is too much, I can't prevent myself from laughing.

Re:Culture of Fear

[east coast]

Please consider that this is part of her job. If something happens on school grounds to a child and an adult is aware of the danger before it happens than there will be hell to pay. Maybe you're different than most other parents but given the temperament of most parents a teacher really needs to cover themselves for all kinds of levels of liability when it comes down to the students well being as well as school property.

Re:Awwww

[uofitorn]

And what is she going to come away with? A newfound appreciate for Free Software? Or the rants and raves of a bunch of freetard lunatics. I wouldn't bet on the former.

Oh yeah this is /., I need to mention that I am writing this post from a FreeBSD desktop otherwise I have no 'cred'...

The M$ Music Class.

[westbake]

A computer science class that teaches kids to use Windows is like a guitar class that teaches kids to listen to Prince CDs. Schools should aim higher than that.

Lame Excuses, Seen it Before.

[inTheLoo]

The "there could have been anything on those CDs" is a really lame excuse and it's one that's M$ propagated. You can say the same thing about books and speech. Want to ban those in school too? Imagine, "He was handing out notes to his clasmates. I immediately assumed they contained drugs and porn and steped in to uphold the law. My suspicions were only increased when I learned this Constitution was written by adults." I ran into the same objections when I tried to hold a Free Software demonstration in my school. It's a war on sharing, they want you to trust them more than your neighbors.

Fear and ignorance are used to keep you helpless and divided. Its a lie, trust your neighbors.

I see what you did there.

[Risen888]

Wow. That "$" instead of an "S?" That's so classy and original. I am in awe of your wit, sir.

Re:Obviously sign of jumping to conclusions

[Anonymous Coward]

Windows != "standards"

if this is true than microsoft isn't a monopoly either but the truth is that near-90% market share makes it the standard regardless of what goes on under your roof.

And, by the time a 7th grader enters the work force, Windows will be less like the XP he's using now than Mandriva is like XP.

and the 7th grader will continue to learn as they continue their education. are you really that stupid? jesus fuck.

Microsoft software in schools is a pitiful, ignorant waste of my tax money.

and if i were a parent and my kids were learning linux as part of a standard curriculum i'd fuck someone up at the school district. i don't want my kids wasting time with the 1% marketshare token o/s. that would be like my kids being taught sanskrit as a foreign language.

and i don't give a fuck about your little pet project there either fucker. time and time again linfux has been proven to be a dead end in the mainstream. your kind of fanaticism is akin to the ignorance of religion. eventually one of you smelly fucks are going to kill someone in the name of linux. it's a dangerous thing to have linux faggots around. they're unpredictable ranting lunitics pushing a second class product. keep it the fuck away from me. and school isn't the place to force it on people either. if a student has interest in it let them start an after school project. it doesn't belong in the mainstream.

now excuse me while i go while my ass with a picture of linus. fucking ignorant fuck old fucking bitch whore cunt retard.

JAM THAT FAGGOT OS UP YOUR ELDERLY ASS!!!

Re:Awwww

[Ant P.]

Y'know, I rarely see any of these "freetard lunatics" you're rambling about. Maybe it's because I don't use BSD? I did look at the OpenBSD mailing lists once though and wow, those were something else entirely...

Re:Awwww

[uofitorn]

Do you read the /. comments often? Freetards are everywhere! I use Linux daily as well -- I just can't stand the blind evangelism certain outspoken members of the community exhibit. Most FS users are well mannered individuals in real life. The Internet brings out the jerks who can't tolerate a viewpoint other than their own.

Ever read the (now defunct) Linux Hater's Blog? http://linuxhaters.blogspot.com/ It's great.

Also, I hardly see how the one sentence in my original post is "rambling" :)

Re:Obviously sign of jumping to conclusions

[ChameleonDave]

Exactly. That's one of the things that have always pissed me off about foreigners. You get these people who say, "You and your compatriots are ignorant of geography," just because we don't know the names of the continents; yet when you ask them to name the streets in my neighbourhood, they say, "what does it matter?". I hate ethnocentrism, but only when it's other people's. Maybe in my country people have better things to do than stare at "maps" and "books".