[Fsfe-uk] Re: [centres] Free Libre Open Source Software WAS Overpriced, overhyped, over here

[Adam Moran]

Hi Tony, Hi Centres,

Tony Slatcher wrote:
> [Linux] All good stuff when viewed from the reality free zone that is
> Observerworld.

I manage and produce http://mkdoc.com/, the software which runs your web 
site http://www.helpisathand.gov.uk/. Some of you will know me from the 
web steering group.

I've been following this debate with some interest. I am also on the 
[Free Software Foundation Europe : uk] email list where this topic has 
been the subject of hot discussion since early December. [1] I have 
copied-in this list for their information.

Tony Slatcher wrote:
> If Becta saved £46 million over three years/reduced schools expenditure
> on Microsoft packages by between 20% to 37% then well done them ...

[fsfe-uk] On 6 Dec 2003 18:36:12 Philip Hunt wrote:

> > The savings are 20%-37% of previous prices and should amount to GBP 50 
> > million over 3 years, according to the BBC. Taking a middle figure of 28.5% 
> > discount implies:
> >
> > - MS licenses at old costs were 175 million
> > - at new costs, MS licenses will be 125 million
> >
> > Almost all of these license will be for MS office, I imagine. Therefore,
> > by switching to Open Office, schools would presumably save another 125 
> > million over three years.

Do you think saving 175 million is better than saving 46 million ?

But this is not really the point of my email - instead I want to tell 
you about the educational benefits and employment opportunities of being 
able to use Free Libre Open Source Software such as Linux, Apache and 
all the other software which forms the back bone of the internet.

Educational Benefits
--------------------

The main point about FLOSS is that it is Free Libre; that is you can:

*Study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs.
*Improve the program, and release your improvements to the public.

FLOSS is produced and developed by large multinational groups using 
email lists and other group ware technologies. The nature of these 
groups correspond to those which are developing the most useful 
community learning materials and infrastructures; these groups 
themselves are learning societies.


Employment Opportunities
------------------------

I am an employer. Over the past four years I have recruited 3 French, 1 
Spanish, 1 German, 2 South African and 1 Canadian members of staff to 
help us with our project. I would dearly like to be able to employ folk 
from the city in which I work; there are none with FLOSS skills 
forthcoming.

Tony Slatcher wrote:

> ...  Unless
> you think they should challenge and overthrow Microsoft, by either (a)
> converting the world to Linux ...

Microsoft appears to be the dominant producer of software because they 
hold currently a dominant market share of the PC market. Linux / Apache 
hold 67 % of the web server market compared to Microsoft's 21 % [2]; in 
a very real way the world has already converted to Linux.

> ... or (b) posting out pirated software to
> every school in the UK. 

You don't need to got to such lengths ;) -  this is just one alternate 
idea that was posted on [fsfe-uk]:

[fsfe-uk] On 06 Dec 2003 19:44:50 Ian Lynch wrote:

> > At OpenOffice.org we have a project to get
> > OO.o into school libraries. I have some very nicely packaged discs for
> > the purpose but we really need about 30,000 for all the schools in
> > England. If I could persuade the DfES to spend say 50k for the discs
> > postage etc we could get this package to every school and kids who could
> > not afford MS Office could borrow the disc and install OO.o at home.
> > Most of the least well off do not have broadband connections to download
> > OO.o from the Internet.
> >
> > I think student prices for MS Office is around £120 so if 500
> > individuals used OO.o as a result of this it more than pays for itself.
> >
> > This fits Government social inclusion policy and its a relatively small
> > amount of money.

And if *just one* of these people picked up the FLOSS bug from using 
this software then to my mind the 50 k would be well spent; this person 
would then be able to find work where ever they ended up.

Tony Slatcher wrote:

> Deriding Becta because it’s gone for a
> Memorandum with Microsoft rather than (a) or (b) is easy cheap nonsense.

I would not deride Becta; I have much respect for the work they do in 
general and the work that the Community Programmes team do in particular.

I understand all too well the pressures which the management and staff 
are under in this organisation. For a while I was a full time union 
representative at a city council and acted as a stand-in shop steward 
for a membership of 9000; I have a keen insight into the consequences of 
constant re-organistion and fear of employment has on a work force and 
an organisation as a whole. Becta to their credit do, and facilitate a 
great deal of useful work in education never-the-less.

Tony Slatcher wrote:

> I am not related to Bill Gates, drink in his local or his apologist –
> but the profits/profit margins and market behaviour of Microsoft seem
> broadly in line with that of the Bank that sold me my (crap) endowment
> policy, the company whose (crap) car I drive, the broadcaster whose
> (crap) TV programmes I watch, the company whose (who knows what) cold
> relief medicines I buy etc etc.

I take your general point but I think the profit margins of Microsoft 
are larger than most; 85 % I think. [3] Remember software once produced 
can be copied at negligable price.

> ... And what if you just want easy uncomplicated basics
> in computing because you ‘explore your revolutionary potential’ as
> something else?  I really respect gifted car mechanics – but for me,
> knowing about the oil, water, tyres etc. is all I’ve got headspace for.
> What’s wrong with others having the same attitude to ICT?

Each to their own, sure; but let those who have revolutionary potential 
in software production, web site design, system administration and other 
desciplines of information architecture have access to the tools and 
documents that are freely available.

> And in the percentage game in Realworld even the
> ripping/chatting/file-sharing/online gaming/video editing user who can
> also competently use Microsoft Office is going to earn more money than
> one who can’t.  For instance, betcha John Naughton is able to use Word
> and Excel.

Sure; I know of far better opportunities for folk with FLOSS skills; for 
instance, this email list we are using is run by a programme called 
Mailman [4]; this is FLOSS. I understand that it is possible to charge 
100 GBP / hour to install and configure this software. Further it 
doesn't matter where one is located as the work can be done remotely.

> To paraphrase the 10 year old in the house - Microsoft Office is for
> real.  Deal with it.

So is FLOSS :)

> Tony Slatcher
> Arbourthorne Centre
> Sheffield

Do you want to meet up ?

All the best

--
Adam Moran
http://mkdoc.com/
Sheffield

[1] http://mail.gnu.org/archive/html/fsfe-uk/2003-12/index.html
Free Software Foundation Europe http://www.fsfeurope.org/

[2] http://news.netcraft.com/archives/web_server_survey.html

[3] http://mail.gnu.org/archive/html/fsfe-uk/2004-01/msg00027.html

[4] http://www.list.org/