[luau] RE:open source article

[Ted Kanemori]

Yes, HOSEF is a little conservative.  Please understand that HOSEF is
made up of volunteers that give up their time on Saturdays and Monday
nights to work on equipment that is less then new.  Challenged to
repair, fix and patch pre-owned equipment, find out if this equipment
will run reliably, load a Linux OS and basic applications, mate and test
peripherals to have a complete system that'll do what it's intended to
do.  Then load this equipment in their private vehicles and deliver them
to locations where it'll serve it's purpose best.   
The HOSEF volunteers do not get paid, or ask for reimbursements. They
don't get fed or anything in return, except for the satisfaction that
they may have done some good for the "community".
Convince the state?  
George Bush had 300,000 troops, 80 billion dollars, and several
coalition partners to do a regime change.  Here in Hawaii, it takes
lobbying and patience to change things.
Are there folks that'll dedicate themselves to sitting at the capitol to
convince lawmakers to see the light?
Are there folks that'll sponsor the grants that are suggested?

1.  People don't change because human nature dictates that a resistance
to change is normal.  Especially if it's going to involve work.  Before
people will be willing to change, they need to see how the change will
benefit them and make life easier (and cheaper).    
2.  Most folks don't know what Linux is.  They've got their hands full
doing an 8 hour a day job and trying to understand Windows or Mac.  They
need to be INTRODUCED to Linux.  You can't stuff a round Linux into a
square hole. 
HOSEF is doing a wonderful job of putting Linux in front of the public
so people can understand it and "choose" to come on board.  
3.  Scott has been spending tons of time looking for computer donations
to
shore up the Linux momentum.  Some of it has resulted in a few pre-owned
systems, but not enough.  If there are folks who know folks who have
connections to organizations that can donate equipment that is being
replaced or upgraded, it'd help the cause.
4.  Every day it seems like there are more and more people who are
stepping forward, introducing themselves and actively helping to make
inroads into the State system.  Changes will not happen overnight, but
if the cause is just, the right thing will prevail.

Ted




-----Original Message-----
From: luau-admin at videl.ics.hawaii.edu
[mailto:luau-admin at videl.ics.hawaii.edu] On Behalf Of TB
Sent: Friday, May 02, 2003 9:06 AM
To: luau
Subject: Re: [luau] RE:open source article

> why is the state 
> pushing MS Office?  

Inertia. They are rarely ahead of the technology curve
on anything, and open source is still pretty rare on
the desktop. How many people do you know who use linux
or have some OSS app on their windows desktop that you
don't know through this list or some high-tech
connection? For me it's still zero. The day will come
when Joe Sixpack will be using OSS because it's
cheaper & better, but it ain't here yet.

> Just on Tuesday I was a visitor at UH Engineering
college, they 
> too have so much to offer the state, I'm saying why
not use the 
> college to develop open source programs, other
equiptment 
> (servers, computers) for the state and keep the
money and the 
> knowledge base in the state.  They already do major
research 
> projects that can mean $$$ for the state.  

1) It would have to be part of some research project,
not just a production deal. The university is in the
research business, not high tech job training (perhaps
unfortunately).  Still I suppose it could be done
somehow - ANCL <http://ancl.ics.hawaii.edu/ > might be
a good model, they have research stuff in their
mission statement, but I am tempted to think of them
as primarily a testing lab (formerly for Internet
Week, now InfoWorld). You'd need to find some OSS guru
to lead it. Anyone want to go for a PHD at UH to fill
this void? 

But if all the state wants is integration of existing
software (seems likely?), then there's really no
research aspect and so no role for the university. The
HOSEF approach has been a bit conservative in this
area (probably rightly), just "replace current
windows-based computing capabilities of Hawaii schools
or expand computing capabilities with OSS because it's
cheaper & better." Maybe I'm not being creative
enough, but I don't hear an obvious research question
there. If that's our motivation, then the big question
is "where do we get the resources we need?" and going
through the university just complicates matters.

2) Someone at the legislature has to take a leadership
position & carry the ball (at least nominally). Maybe
Hoala's efforts with Ige will get this going.

Alternative approaches would be to offer research
grants in the area (generally, not just UH), or have a
contest of some kind. But we need to be a bit more
specific about what we want than "open source software
developed or integrated or used or maintained in
Hawaii." Don't we? 

And of course there's what we have now - let HOSEF
volunteers do it.

And the "business as usual" variant - have DOE hire
some people to do it.

TB
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