Like Richard Hayes, I noted the announcement "Lenovo wins $150m NSW
schools deal". I have been trying since February to get a response on a
suggestion that the Department of Education consider FOSS
(correspondence attached) via my local member's office, who happens to
be the Education Minister.
I am now trying to get a meeting with her. If successful (unlikely, but
not out of the question), is anyone who really knows what they are
talking about interested in coming to the meeting?
Lloyd
--- Begin Message ---
Well I kept eagerly checking my emails every day for the reply which
"can take up to 4 weeks". Note my original email below was on 10 Feb so
it is almost 2 months so far. But I guess I should consider that the
answer was in the media today: over $25 million spent on software with
the likes of Microsoft.
As a resident of NSW for 57 years I consider this is partly my money
that will be spent. I have looked at the Department's website and the
Premier's announcement and I can find no reason's given for this
software expenditure. As a long time user of free and open source
software in my business I cannot see why taxpayers' money has to be
handed over to Microsoft for the software listed.
Can somebody in the Department please explain to me, as a taxpayer and
voter in Ms Firth's electorate, why free and open source software is not
being supplied on these computers rather than spending $25 million plus.
As my previous emails have obviously been ignored by the Department, can
I suggest a novel approach? Perhaps my local member can explain it to me
personally. I would be delighted to put the time aside to here from her.
I look forward to the Minister's response.
Lloyd Fairhall
0408 168 242
On Thu, 2009-03-05 at 15:55 +1100, ElectorateOffice Balmain wrote:
> Dear Lloyd
>
> Sorry for the delay - sometimes it can take up to 4 weeks for an
> Education response, due to the volume of correspondence that we
> receive - hundreds of emails, letters and calls every day.
>
> I have called through to the Ministerial office to chase up an answer
> for you, so please expect one soon.
>
> Thanks for your patience.
>
> Kind Regards,
>
> Office of Verity Firth MP
> Member for Balmain
> 112A Glebe Point Road, Glebe 2037
> phone 9660 7586 | fax 9660 6112
> balm...@parliament.nsw.gov.au
>
> NOTICE – This e-mail is solely for the named addressee and may be
> confidential. You should only read, disclose, transmit, copy,
> distribute, act in reliance on or commercialise the contents if you
> are authorised to do so. If you are not the intended recipient of this
> e-mail, please notify the sender by e-mail immediately and then
> destroy any copy of this message. Except where otherwise specifically
> stated, views expressed in this e-mail are those of the individual
> sender.
> The New South Wales Parliament does not guarantee that this
> communication is free of errors, virus, interception or interference.
>
>
> >>> lloyd <l...@aapt.net.au> 5/03/2009 2:22 pm >>>
> What time frame is appropriate for a response, as I have not received
> one?
> Lloyd Fairhall
>
> On Wed, 2009-02-11 at 10:59 +1100, ElectorateOffice Balmain wrote:
> > Dear Lloyd
> >
> > Thanks for your thoughtful email. Apologies for replying on Verity's
> > behalf - she has been in community cabinet in Queanbeyan.
> >
> > I have forwarded your message to Verity's Ministerial Office, so
> that
> > her Education and Training Advisors can read your message - we are
> > unable to handle Education Inquiries in her local Balmain Electorate
> > Office.
> >
> > I've copied that office into this email - please see the address in
> > the 'to' field above. If you'd like to call the Education Office
> > directly, the details are below:
> >
> > phone 9228 4130
> > fax 9228 4131
> >
> > If you don't receive a response, please let me know and I will chase
> > it up for you.
> >
> > Kind Regards,
> >
> >
> > Tamsin Lloyd
> > Electorate Advisor
> > Office of VERITY FIRTH MP | Member for BALMAIN
> >
> > 112A Glebe Point Road, Glebe NSW 2037
> > phone: 9660 7586 | fax: 9660 6112
> >
> > NOTICE – This e-mail is solely for the named addressee and may be
> > confidential. You should only read, disclose, transmit, copy,
> > distribute, act in reliance on or commercialise the contents if you
> > are authorised to do so. If you are not the intended recipient of
> this
> > e-mail, please notify the sender by e-mail immediately and then
> > destroy any copy of this message. Except where otherwise
> specifically
> > stated, views expressed in this e-mail are those of the individual
> > sender.
> > The New South Wales Parliament does not guarantee that this
> > communication is free of errors, virus, interception or
> interference.
> >
> >
> > >>> lloyd <l...@aapt.net.au> 10/02/2009 9:30 pm >>>
> > Verity
> >
> > I live in Balmain but I am writing to you in your capacity as
> Minister
> > for Education. I understand that your department is currently
> > considering the purchase of laptop computers and associated software
> > for
> > schools and that open source software such as Linux is being
> > considered.
> >
> > I do not work in an information technology job, I have limited
> > knowledge
> > of IT and no vested interest in what is chosen other than as a
> > taxpayer,
> > but I strongly urge you to go down the path of free software.
> Despite
> > my
> > lack of IT knowledge I have been successfully using Ubuntu Linux for
> > some years for my personal activities and to run my small consulting
> > business and I would never go back to the Microsoft Windows
> > environment.
> > The only time I use Windows is once a quarter as my bookkeeper
> prefers
> > MYOB to produce quarterly accounts.
> >
> > Open Source software is free, stable, unaffected by viruses (and
> > avoids
> > the need for performance-sapping anti-virus software), as easy to
> use
> > as
> > Microsoft's products, frequently updated by many volunteers around
> the
> > world including in Sydney and allows saving of files in
> > non-proprietary
> > formats that I believe will stand the test of time. I do not
> > understand
> > why so many people use Microsoft's products, other than that they
> are
> > the most popular by being the most familiar to all.
> >
> > There is an excellent opportunity for Australia to be among the
> world
> > leaders in IT by teaching its children a cheaper and more effective
> > alternative way and save a lot of taxpayers' money at the same time.
> > Why
> > not take this path?
> >
> > Lloyd Fairhall
> > 0408 168 242
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
--- End Message ---
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