hey Su, If I can help with getting free software into your courses then please let me know. I'm keen as mustard to see students contributing to manuals on free software - effectively writing their own text books. if thats an idea that we could collaborate on, or if I can help any other way, then let me know
:) adam On Wed, 2009-01-14 at 13:47 +1300, su b wrote: > Hi Adam, > This is a wonderful thing you are doing here. > I struggle with the complicity that goes on with students learning > software through the institution and then becoming very wary of trying > anything different. And I unfortunately have to put myself in this > camp too. Its a strange mix of uncertainty and excuses around time > management. I really look forward to the result of your FLOSSification > of the adobe creative suite, and getting to grips with FLOSS > materials, and ideally incorporating these into our courses. > all the best > su > > =============================### > Dr. Su Ballard > Academic Leader, Electronic Arts > School of Art > Otago Polytechnic > Te Kura Matatini ki Otago > Private Bag 1910 > Dunedin 9005 > NEW ZEALAND > > ph. +64-3-4796061 > > > > On 14/01/2009, at 5:27 AM, adam hyde wrote: > > > for any one in NYC... > > > > > > > > FLOSSify 1 : Digital Foundations > > > > For a long time educational courses have been cheap marketing for > > proprietary software companies. Can a student really afford all those > > expensive softwares required by the courses? No. Ever hear of a > > software > > company kicking up a fuss because students are using 'unofficial' > > versions? Well, it does happen but not often. And why not? Because > > proprietary software companies know, as the universities know, that > > once > > the students leave their training they will be indoctrinated with > > those > > tools and simply slipstream into being paid up proprietary software > > citizens. Simply put, unlicensed software used in education is > > tolerated > > because it is cheap marketing. > > > > This is how tools become 'industry standards'. > > > > FLOSS Manuals is fighting this flow by converting textbooks that use > > proprietary software to using free software in their examples. > > > > We call this process "FLOSSify". We convert the book from closed > > software to Free Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) hence we > > 'FLOSSify' > > the book. > > > > Our first text book is the wonderful Digital Foundations book produced > > by Michael Mandiberg and Xtine Burrough > > (http://digital-foundations.net/). Its a text book designed to teach > > software by teaching design. The current toolset it uses is the Adobe > > Creative Suite and we will convert these examples entirely to using > > free > > software. > > > > Not only have the authors given the kind permission to go ahead with > > this, they originated the idea and approached FLOSS Manuals to be > > involved. We are very happy to get behind this initiative and work > > with > > the authors to create a fantastic text book promoting the use of Free > > and Open Source Software within design courses. > > > > FLOSSIFY 1 : Digital Foundations will focus on a fun 3 day event at > > Eyebeam, NYC. Anyone is welcome to attend and some food and beer > > will be > > provided. Come and meet some of your old geek friends, make some new, > > and help make a step towards unshackling education from proprietary > > software. > > > > FLOSSIFY 1 : Digital Foundations > > Eyebeam, New York City > > Feb 6-8 > > starts 10ish > > finishes when we are done > > fast connection, a table, some chairs, and beer and food provided > > contact [email protected] for more info > > > > > > -- > > Adam Hyde > > Founder FLOSS Manuals > > http://www.flossmanuals.net > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Ada_list mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://aotearoadigitalarts.org.nz/ > -- Adam Hyde Founder FLOSS Manuals http://www.flossmanuals.net _______________________________________________ Ada_list mailing list [email protected] http://aotearoadigitalarts.org.nz/
