[luau] NEWS: Status of Macromedia Flash petition / Administrator Excuses

[Joe Linux]

I can attest the the Hawaii public school administrators are always full 
of excuses.  One example was the DOE committed to Sony Beta video format 
at the same time that is was being phased out.  The public schools 
purchased tons of Beta video format equipment that had to be replaced 
due to the subsequent lack of Beta format software.  When the schools 
first got into computers I wanted to have an honest debate as to whether 
or not to go with IBM clone PC's or Apple MacIntosh.  There was  no 
debate, the principal just decided that the school would go with 
Macintosh.  While Macintoshes are perhaps better, the long term result 
is that it is very costly for taxpayers.  Plus it has come to my 
attention recently that people who use Macintosh exclusively are 
essentially computer illiterate as many of them seem unable to adapt to 
anything even slightly different from a Macintosh, but equally user 
friendly.  The end result is they opt for computer systems costing 
thousands more than a cheap clone running a good Linux system like 
Mandrake 8.2.  When a U of H professor can't tell the difference between 
a mail client and a web browser, or to look down at the task bar to see 
what applications are running or which documents are open, it is indeed 
a sad situation.   

W. Wayne Liauh wrote:

> ) I strongly believe that eventually we will need to consider a legal 
> solution--taking the schools to the court.  As taxpayers, we should 
> have a voice as to how our tax $$$ is being spent.  But I believe you 
> are taking the right step in focusing your initial effort on private 
> schools.