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They don't really know they have an alternative
I think it's a good idea to remind people in general that PC does not equal Windows, email does not equal Outlook and Word processing does not equal MS Word. The goal of this operation is most of all to help students open their eyes to the existing alternatives.
From my personal experience with many PC "newbies", the use of Open Source alternatives is at 80% linked to this awareness, not to the quality of software. You are implicitly suggesting that those students haven't downloaded Open Source applications before because they were not interested in it. I think it's wrong. It's mainly because they didn't know that serious alternatives existed (e.g. every person I've shown the Firefox browser to has become an afficionado... however I had to show the product).
Freedom is a question of free choice, but the choice is up to you. However, ff you don't know that you have other options, obviously you'll think you are free... free to choose among options that were dictated to you by people you don't know (if you ask old people in the USSR, most of them still think they were free at that time... crazy what narrow choices can do isn't it?). I'm not a socialist, but I don't think that replacing State dictate by Private Sector corporations dictates is wise either. And if States can do things to help people recover their liberty of choice and restore balance, I think it's their very purpose actually. But again, the final choice is up to you.

In the kingdom of blind people, the one-eyed ones are kings. You seem to be happy as a blind person in your world. I personally think it's good for people to recover their full sight, and make their own choices.
Posted by: Olivier Pilot   Posted on: 02/06/07 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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Encouraging expansion of knowledge good, very good  Boot_Agnostic | 02/05/07
What a GREAT idea....  shawkins | 02/05/07
Paris turns 175,000 kids on to open-source key plan  Loverock Davidson | 02/05/07
You know one you know them all  voska | 02/05/07
OMG! Ya mean everything I learned to do with Craftsman tools ...  OButterball | 02/05/07
Not true  Loverock Davidson | 02/05/07
I disagree  voska | 02/05/07
Once in a while, I agree with you LD  galileon | 02/06/07
That's what I see now too  voska | 02/06/07
You are correct again, LR  fuzzy2k | 02/06/07
What a dink...  jasonp@... | 02/06/07
Your usual load of garbage Lovey!!  shawkins | 02/05/07
Lovey Dovey... always in tune with the world  yyuko@... | 02/05/07
You know it!  Loverock Davidson | 02/05/07
I agree  mlindl | 02/05/07
Yes Times have changed  voska | 02/05/07
Yes your post is garbage  Loverock Davidson | 02/05/07
Which version?  zkiwi | 02/05/07
maybe it's time to change that, no?  benitodarder | 02/06/07
A USB Key and software license for $USD19 per child  Richard Flude | 02/05/07
Of course  Yagotta B. Kidding | 02/05/07
what? when they could have a OS to go with it.  Arm A. Geddon | 02/05/07
Try again  Yagotta B. Kidding | 02/05/07
re: gentoo  Arm A. Geddon | 02/05/07
It makes sense...  Tony Agudo | 02/05/07
Alternately  Yagotta B. Kidding | 02/05/07
Ah, I forgot about that the OpenCD...  Tony Agudo | 02/05/07
Freedom? Yeah right!  Gkyluig | 02/06/07
They don't really know they have an alternative  Olivier Pilot | 02/06/07
Err in the real world  mrjonno | 02/06/07
In the real world, people are pretty adaptable, and don't have a problem  DonnieBoy | 02/06/07
Why?  voska | 02/06/07
maybe your real world  shryko | 02/06/07
Which is exactly why  fuzzy2k | 02/06/07
Knowledge sure is expensive  Gkyluig | 02/06/07
Those GD tax and spend politicians!  fuzzy2k | 02/06/07
A better world?  Gkyluig | 02/06/07
Freedom is partial  atlury_murali@... | 02/06/07
Freedom of choice  Gkyluig | 02/06/07
Free software is a movement NOT a business  atlury_murali@... | 02/13/07

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