Re: [PLUG] Community Service Project (Devil's

[kmhryhpdblyx@spammotel.com]

advocate)

I can't believe you guys are debating giving C or Perl to low-income 
elementary school students.  These are kids who are probably not even 
reading at their proper grade level.  I bet that a good bunch of these kids 
won't even be able to read the man pages for some of these packages, let 
alone put them to use.

IMHO, they need simple software that helps them learn and doesn't get in 
their way.  A web browser, a simple word processor, chat client, simple 
email, educational games.  Some good examples have already been 
mentioned.  There might be more at the K12-Linux project home page.

I don't think it's kind to give a poor person something that will either 
cost them money to maintain (license upgrades) or provoke them into 
breaking the law (SW pirate).  Free software seems to be the most-moral way 
to go in this type of endeavor.   Second graders shouldn't be worrying 
about the job prospects of one OS or another.  They need to learn how to 
read, type, surf, search, and to use the computer (any computer) as a tool.


At 10:31 AM 7/11/2003 -0400, you wrote:
> Most of the kids will say they want games, and cool chat software. Some
> may want programming stuff, if they're incipient geeks. The parents will
> want more than that for the kids.
>
> That's been my experience with the younger (< 12 or so) crowd, anyway.
>
> > Linux:
> >   Pre-installed with:
> >     - web browser (value $0)
> >     - full office suite(s) (value $300?)
> >     - programming languages (value $500?)
>
> Well, there is a free version of C for Windows, I believe. Ditto for perl,
> python, etc.
>
> >     - web page editor(s) (value $79.95?)
>
> Front Page Express on Windows is a web editor, and is free. And web pages
> can be edited using open Office these days, I believe.
>
> >     - image/graphics software (Gimp) (value $200?)
>
> Gimp is available for Windows, and is free.

--
Jim Foster - jif "at" computer .org      http://www.voicenet.com/~jfoster
"Being on a Beemer and not having a wave returned by a         ICQ 
679709
Sportster is like having a clipper ship's hailing not    RAM 2500 Cummins
returned by an orphaned New Jersey solid waste barge." -OTL   '03 GL1800A

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