Nothing is free in Austin, Texas, USA, even the free stuff
A teacher in Austin, Texas confiscated Linux CDs one student gave others because "No software is free and spreading that misconception is harmful". I can understand that someone might never have heard about GNU and the idea of OpenSource programming and about Linux. Everyone has to have their first sometime.
But she later writes that she talked to the students and checked the information about Linux and the local Linux collective that encourages spreading Linux copies among students. And she proceeded with writing a letter to the said Linux collective threatening them with police. How a person with such a great problem with reading comprehension becomes a teacher. How somebody who obviously cannot find and/or understand information is to teach such skills to students.
Then she writes, I have to quote this, "I along with many others tried Linux during college...". Really. And of course you had to pay for it then? Or maybe it wasn't Linux? College memories can be hazy.
She also claims students learning how to work on Linux would give them disadvantage in future life because everything is Windows and it's the only thing worth knowing. It's wrong on so many levels I don't even know where to start. She probably thinks they have to still use command line - because Linux of course still looks like in her collage days because unlike anything else computer related it never changed - and the students using it wouldn't know how to use mouse or put files in basket. And learning current Windows is of course enough for life. It will never change and frustrate users with new features and completely different menus. The sad thing is that I think that the only really useful thing kids could learn about using computers at school is how to switch from one operating system to another. The new versions keep coming and what you know and got used to becomes outdated so fast. Not to mention meeting with Macs or Linux operated PC. Not being afraid of different logo on the computer. Web browsing isn't all that different. Teach kids how to adapt and learn new things or they'll really be lost in modern world.
But she later writes that she talked to the students and checked the information about Linux and the local Linux collective that encourages spreading Linux copies among students. And she proceeded with writing a letter to the said Linux collective threatening them with police. How a person with such a great problem with reading comprehension becomes a teacher. How somebody who obviously cannot find and/or understand information is to teach such skills to students.
Then she writes, I have to quote this, "I along with many others tried Linux during college...". Really. And of course you had to pay for it then? Or maybe it wasn't Linux? College memories can be hazy.
She also claims students learning how to work on Linux would give them disadvantage in future life because everything is Windows and it's the only thing worth knowing. It's wrong on so many levels I don't even know where to start. She probably thinks they have to still use command line - because Linux of course still looks like in her collage days because unlike anything else computer related it never changed - and the students using it wouldn't know how to use mouse or put files in basket. And learning current Windows is of course enough for life. It will never change and frustrate users with new features and completely different menus. The sad thing is that I think that the only really useful thing kids could learn about using computers at school is how to switch from one operating system to another. The new versions keep coming and what you know and got used to becomes outdated so fast. Not to mention meeting with Macs or Linux operated PC. Not being afraid of different logo on the computer. Web browsing isn't all that different. Teach kids how to adapt and learn new things or they'll really be lost in modern world.