Explaining OSS to Normal People?

[Cyberclops]

Revision 0.02

"Actually" should read "actual"


Cyberclops wrote:
> 
> Revision 0.01
> 
> "with" should read "without"
> 
> Cyberclops wrote:
> >
> > Linux was developed by a geek, subsequently was adopted and extended by
> > other geeks, and presently is being developed by many more geeks.  Linux
> > is freely distributed, and as a result, it is achieving wide spread
> > popularity among geeks world wide.  Non-geeks are beginning to recognize
> > the value of open source, not because it is geek, but because it's open
> > and can be freely distributed with the encumbrance of excessive
> > licensing costs.  The educational value of Linux is in preparing
> > non-geeks to live in a geek dominated world. Thus non-geeks will
> > eventually become geek; and hopefully,  finally becoming full blown
> > geeks.  Lessons will not simply teach the command line interface, but
> > will train non geeks to learn to independently address and understand
> > man pages and apply this cryptography to real world situations such as
> > getting the television schedule or a time signal to pass through a
> > "stateful" firewall.  The benefit to the state will be that Linux will
> > cost less in actual dollars to setup and maintain.  A single copy of the
> > OS can be freely distributed daisy chain style from classroom to
> > classroom throughout the state.  The first person will just pass it on
> > to the next until it finally gets to the end.  Thus the state will be
> > able to equip every classoom in the state for a one time aquisition cost
> > of $29.00 or less if it is determined that the acompannying instruction
> > book might get lost. The pitfalls are that many non-geeks have been
> > brain washed by the likes of M$ and Apple into thinking that Linux
> > couldn't be any good, and if it is, it must be un-American.  But perhaps
> > the biggest drawback is that it requires actually knowledge to use it,
> > and it will not lend itself well to existing insevice training
> > practices.
> >
> > Warren Togami wrote:
> > >
> > > The grant writer at my workplace has less than 2 weeks to write a big grant
> > > that would work towards putting Linux thin clients into schools across the
> > > state.  Prior to our discussion this week she had never heard of Linux, and
> > > knows very little about computers.  She needs some basic grounding in the
> > > history, ethos and motivations of the Open Source movement in order to be
> > > able to explain the efficacy and power of Linux and Open Source Software to
> > > the readers of the grant.
> > >
> > > Do you folks know of web pages, articles, and/or books that explain these
> > > things in terms that normal people would understand?
> > >
> > > Warren Togami
> > > warren at togami.com
> > >
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