I'm sending this from the Linux Desktop Summit in San Diego. Its raining outside just to reduce the envy factor ;-). This is a really up beat environment and I have had great interest in the INGOT project from educators here. If this conference is anything to go by, things are moving on at a great pace and the concept of RM being the safe option looks shakier by the minute. Tie in to expensive non-open systems is a big risk and more and more people are beginning to realise it.
-- Ian --- linuxgirlie <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: From: linuxgirlie <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2005 20:52:27 +0000 To: Robin Green <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Fsfe-uk] Introduction On Thu, 10 Feb 2005 20:37:51 +0000, Robin Green <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Looks like a godsend - everything pretty much preconfigured, right? > Good stuff! Thats correct and the whole point :) it means anyone can come along and install and run it, not for your linux guru type though, but just right for schools :) > Good to see that other schools are taking it up also. When you talk to > people (from other schools or from Ofsted or whoever) who have concerns > about switching from the "nice safe RM option", what are the main > worries for them do you think? I personally think its support, but other reasons like everyone else is doing RM if I move will I look like a fool? We had several schools at the moment that won't be named on the site because of this reason, so they are waiting a few months before they "arrive". > I know that support contracts can be an issue, so I looked on the > karoshi.org.uk - you have a lot of free and for-fee support options, > which is great, but I wonder if people might fear that it is a bit > "amateurish" compared to RM? For example, there is one guy specifically > offering to go on call-outs - but only in West Yorkshire! Yeah, it does come across as "amateurish", I agree with that!! I have tried to and still am putting together a large amount of help documents, hopefully this will sway the brave but the rest would have to wait till we are ready to provide full support, but that means I give up my job ;) > The thing is, of course, any reasonably experienced and competent Linux > professional could probably get their head round Karoshi pretty quickly > in order to provide technical support for it, I would think. But just > saying that, isn't necessarily good enough. It might be worth providing > a directory - or to a link to a directory somewhere else - of people who > could help with general Linux emergencies, and people who could provide > support contracts for peace-of-mind. I dunno, just an idea. I was think of this, I will have to get a list of names and email them to see if they will support us, though it is basic schools are very very demanding when it comes to support, and I suspect that this scares most support people off them!! > Another possibility might be, maybe once more schools have started using it, > to start up a company and provide all-in-one installation and support > contracts, > for any school in the UK that wants it, for a fraction of the price of the RM > alternative. I haven't really thought about the financial viability of that > - I guess you'd have to get quite a few schools to sign on to that. Thats my final plan!! Though the project is FLOSS I would like to start my own support company for it which is an all-in-one but alot cheaper than RM. The problem is its a catch 22 situation. Basically I am on Â22,000 a year and though we can survive on my partners wage only (he earns more than me) its still a risk, and to keep up with what we have for example, we would have to make at least the above mark....the good thing I suppose is that if it did go wrong I could quite easily get a job in education again :) I think timing is right, but I also think I need more market research before I start something like that as I need to know that these people will sign up if I go ahead with support...lol > That's great - it's good that we've got people like you "on the inside" > in education, spreading these ideas! :) I''m doing my best, its hard work...lol Jo -- Spread FireFox: http://www.spreadfirefox.com/?q=user/register&r=32751 Get FireFox: http://www.getfirefox.com OpenOffice: http://www.openoffice.org Mandrake: http://www.mandrakelinux.com Karoshi: http://www.karoshi.org.uk _______________________________________________ Fsfe-uk mailing list [email protected] http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/fsfe-uk _______________________________________________ Fsfe-uk mailing list [email protected] http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/fsfe-uk
