You have got to be kidding.
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| azerthoth Mar 27, 2008 9:26 AM EDT |
Okay, its a matt hartley story. Actually three consecutive pieces of .... prose on the news wire (whose bright idea was that?) This one though, XP on XO, makes me wonder if Matt hasn't decided to further line his opinion for money pockets with a little kick back from Redmond. Yes, I bought one of those machines and no I havent gotten it yet. I bought it for 3 reasons, 1: I thought it was an open source project, 2: getting technology into the hands of youth is a great way to help them overcome the limitations of the society where they live, 3: so I could give it to my kids and keep them off my expensive hardware (4 and 6 year olds can break anything). I have managed to calm down about XP being able to be put on these things when I finally remembered open source is about choice, and if one chooses to put oneself in jail, well thats their lookout. Matt here goes on to suggest that XP would have been a better choice from the start, or even OSX, anything other than Linux, because Linux WILL NOT give them appropriate skill sets. Matt if you read this, and I know you come here, one more article like this and I wont question who helps pay your bills. It will be my opinion and may not mean anything to you or anyone else who reads LXer. However it will be wholly mine. Then again I would get to drop "Hartleyism" from my lexicon and use one that is already there, start with s, ends with l, and rhymes with hill. |
| dinotrac Mar 27, 2008 12:09 PM EDT |
A lot depends on what your mission statement is. XP is the pits in terms of the original goal of educating and enabling as many children as possible. Linux allowed a low-cost, low-resource and yet really whiz-bang little laptop to be built with amazing capabilities. Think about it -- low power use than can be recharged via hand-crank (Though I think that may be an add-on), a screen that can be read in bright daylight, integrated networking, all kinds of NEAT stuff. It can inspire a child and serve an adult. What could be better? OTOH - If, as the latest CEO has said, OLPC is simply a laptop distributor, then XP makes a certain amount of sense. So -- Change, enlighten and enliven the world: Linux. Unload a few laptops: XP. |
| Scott_Ruecker Mar 27, 2008 12:31 PM EDT |
Quoting:(whose bright idea was that?) Mine, I have been doing that for a while now, its my way of lessening the pain.. I have for some time now been very strict about just what he writes getting onto the newswire. He's always good for reality checks. :-) |
| azerthoth Mar 27, 2008 12:33 PM EDT |
I'm not disagreeing with you Dino, what I am disagreeing with is M.H. making the claim that Linux is the last and worst possible solution for OLPC from the start, and it should have been XP. He makes the claim that this isnt an attack on Linux, just that Linux wont give children the skill set they need in the real world. Had he made the claim that the inclusion of the option of XP was good on the basis of choice, or freedom to compute in the fashion one wishes, I would have silently agreed with him and gone on about my day. It has nothing really to do with OLPC's current business model and everything to do with claiming Linux is the worst choice for teaching computer skills. *edit* thanks Scott, I understand the logic. Better to be punched in the nose once than multiple time throughout the day. */edit* |
| DiBosco Mar 27, 2008 12:44 PM EDT |
The bloke is either plain stupid or, as you say, getting money from Microsoft. "it won’t give them the skills and knowledge that the majority of computer users have developed by using Windows, or even OS X. It’s not always about going with the majority, but in this case, it probably would help." What skills is he on about fo goodness' sake? Programming in Microsoft Visual C++? Putting together flash movies? I'm guessing the idea of this is to show people how to surf, write emails etc. I'm afraid it's utter nonsense to claim Linux is unsuitable for what the laptop was originally designed for. "Instead, my comments reflected the fact that I thought some countries would be hesitant to participate in the One Laptop Per Child project because of the inclusion of Linux. Sure enough, an article from the BBC has supported this by saying that there have been reports that this is the case because the countries want Windows." The reason for this is that far too many people haven't even heard of Linux, a situation that will continue to be the case when people carry on lining the pockets of Microsoft rather than spending money on giving these people, who have never had access to a computer before, better hardware. Remember, for someone who has never used a computer before, Linux will be ever bit as easy to learn as Windows and you can do everything just as well and develop exactly the same sorts of skills on this type of laptop. This is what the OLPC mission statement is: "The OLPC Foundation's mission is to stimulate local grassroots initiatives designed to enhance and sustain over time the effectiveness of laptops as learning tools for children living in lesser-developed countries." Back to Matt's pearls of wisdom: "Windows XP is a good OS for Microsoft to bring to the XO. It’s modern without being too modern, and it also has a huge install base. People all over the world are familiar with it, and the students using the XO should be as well." Why? Why should they? So that they can get hooked into proprietary, bloated software that costs money they simply don't have? Yeah, great. He says himself in the article XP is too bloated to run on the PC and needs rebuilding. Why bother when there's a better, free alternative? There really are some clueless people in this industry purporting to be experts. Your position is indefensible, Matt. |
| techiem2 Mar 27, 2008 12:46 PM EDT |
Isn't it generally noted as being the other way around when you read articles about such issues?
I.E. kids that are taught Linux tend to be more comfortable and more competent with computers in general than those who are purely taught Windows? If you grow up using windows and only windows, you are generally going to be used to the Microsoft Click and Point "Click this button in this program to do task X and this button in this other program to do taks Y" way (as seems to be taught in most introductory computer use classes..which annoys me to no end). Then when you are put in front of something different, you are lost (just look at all the people that are so trained as to what steps to take for a particular task that they are totally lost when the program is updated and changes a little...or someone rearranges their desktop icons, etc.). If you grow up using Linux or something similar, and have the experience of learning the command line a bit, using multiple different programs for the same task to see what you like, playing with different desktop environments, etc., you are going to be able to adapt to other systems fairly easily. At least that seems to be how it was for me. I started on Dos/windows, and started using Linux fairly early on. At this point I can generally sit down in front of something I haven't used before (random windows program I've never heard of, a Mac, etc.) and figure out the basics of how to use it fairly quick. |
| Scott_Ruecker Mar 27, 2008 12:52 PM EDT |
Quoting:thanks Scott, I understand the logic. Better to be punched in the nose once than multiple time throughout the day. I would spread them out and people were like, AHHHHH WHY IS HARTLEY EVERYWHERE!?!?! So I just line them up and get them out of the way. |
| nikkels Mar 27, 2008 4:59 PM EDT |
I hope that you don't mind if I give my view.
It is more of a religious rant than anything else.
Not that I am a freak, but I just live to happen in a place surrounded by 10 million thieves. At least from a technical point, and that's what I want to point out.
It is of course not going to change a bit in the outcome. The OLPC mission is to bring laptops to the poor. Those poor they talk about don't have enough money to buy bread. Why charge them extra with XP. They will start using pirated versions ( which is theft ). And , oh yes, pirated versions there will be. And, oh yes, they WILL use them The next step is using pirated versions of other programs. Sure, there is freeware. However, I noticed that they rather be dishonest and use pirate versions than use freeware. I know this because I work in the educational system for many years already. So, next is of course open for debate/discussions,.... but if we give them XP , are we not encouraging them to become little thiefs. Please, don't say the parents can control it. It's the parents who are the problem. Don't say , the teachers and the school can control it. It's the teachers and the school management who are the problem I know that there is a lot of high blood pressure around right know, so let me clarify that I am talking about the Asian region. I have no clue about the Americas or Europe. So, please calm down. It would be interesting to hear others view. Excuse me if this sensitive piece is written in a clumsy way, but I am not a pro writer Thanks for reading Nikkels |
| Sander_Marechal Mar 27, 2008 5:07 PM EDT |
Quoting:but if we give them XP , are we not encouraging them to become little thiefs. Microsoft rather has you pirating their software than growing accustomed to Linux. |
| nikkels Mar 27, 2008 5:21 PM EDT |
Sure, that is a well known fact. Does that mean we have to assist them? |
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