Even though we do not have teachers trained in Linux to help with education including computer literacy, it is evident that in many other countries including Latin America and Australia are investing on Linux in a major way.
Education is big business in America and in the West and neglecting other avenues are deliberately done with the help of Microsoft.
Only in this spring that Americans are awakening to the fact that in eduction at least monopoly should be negated by using Linux. They have highlighted the Seven Sins of Microsoft and I will talk only about their insinuation in educational institution (other factors are well known to an average soul).
Only in this spring that Americans are awakening to the fact that in eduction at least monopoly should be negated by using Linux. They have highlighted the Seven Sins of Microsoft and I will talk only about their insinuation in educational institution (other factors are well known to an average soul).
First they donate few computers, then they give a scaled down version of words package and the carrot and the stick approach is done to the politicians and the teachers abroad (as well as this country).
Ultimately teachers are hooked to the bait.
With words there is a proprietary format for Microsoft.
Why UNO or UNICEF is not pushing for a standard word format is an open question.
Are they caught up in the myriads?
How I stumbled upon education (there are many utilities of education value in any Linux distribution) utilities in Linux is quite an accident of some sort.
I was downloading almost one live distribution (of Linux) a day for testing with a view to (I may have hundred by December at the rate I am going on) sorting out the best ten for a web article.
What is written in the web is all about standard and well established distributions but there are many flavours (Gloria, Myah, Chacra, MoonOS, SuperOs, PCLinux,SAM, Mepis and many more) of Linux used by newbie and the savvy.
They are excellent in their own way but very few people write about them except listing them in a Live CD list.
I accidentally typed Linux and Education got an amazing list of Linux distributions that bundle in one package all the educational utilities.
One of them is ADIOS originated from Fedora Core 2.
Once I saw that all the anger I had with RED HAT due to their departure from Linux average community disappeared into thin air. Unfortunately this is done by voluntary basis and not updated frequently. I believe they (ADIOS) are waiting for Fedora 14 (newest version of Fedora with radical change in approach to coincide with the new needs and trends) to upgrade the systems.
They have done a wonderful job and what I downloaded yesterday had the Red Hat look and feel which was dear to me not many moons ago.
Unfortunately it cannot be installed into hard disk but very soon I believe ADIOS Community would do that.
That is not the only distribution Ubuntu has its own version called Qimo.
The Sugar on a stick approach (SOAS) was amazing it can be booted in a CD as well as on a Pendrive (Flash Drive).
Knoppix for Kids (2003) is another, unfortunately not updated for nearly five years.
The community should reactivate it.
Youknowforkids is another.
If you type Asoka and Linux you get me in the web.
But if you type Linux and Education, you get much more.
Pleas note that Microsoft has taken arms against the OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) Project which is based on Linux distribution and Latin American children are carrying them on their shoulder with pride and SOAS (Sugar on a stick) are meant for that Laptop.
Why our politicians fail to visualize that is due to their indulgence with Microsoft and ignorance.
Edited today, 15th November, 2010
Asoka - First published at www.writeclique.net before my adventure with Google.
21, September, 2009
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