Re: Request Advice for Work Meeting on Why use GNU+Linux

[Matt Ivie]

On Thu, 2020-01-16 at 07:32 +0000, lily via libreplanet-discuss wrote:
> Hello All,
> 
> I want to give a BIG THANK YOU to the LibrePlanet community for
> rising up to answer my call for help. Your advice and knowledge
> helped me prepare for presenting my case for why I believe using a
> GNU+Linux OS is beneficial for my position as a biostatistician, and
> the healthcare system over all.
> 
> I will write a more detailed email soon letting you know how the
> meeting went.
> 
> Thank you again!
> 
> Free the Future,
> Crista
> 
> ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Original Message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
> On Monday, January 13, 2020 7:49 PM, lily via libreplanet-discuss <
> libreplanet-discuss@libreplanet.org> wrote:
> 
> > Hello All!
> > 
> > I have a last minute question on how to prepare for a meeting
> > tomorrow
> > Tuesday 2pm Pacific Standard time. PLEASE RESPOND SOON!
> > 
> > I work as a biostatistician for a hospital and when I started
> > working
> > there I requested a computer with a GNU+Linux OS. My request was
> > promptly denied, because IT said they simply do not support Unix.
> > 
> > But TOMORROW, there will be a meeting with the following objective:
> > Discuss request for Providing a GNU+Linux operating system for a
> > 
> > caregiver that will be using statistical software.
> > 
> > The Principle IT engineer wrote this email in anticipation of the
> > meeting:
> > 
> > Greetings, I have passed information about this meeting to the
> > manager
> > 
> > of the Unix Server Operations team in case he wants to get anyone
> > 
> > involved. I am also very concerned about the management and
> > security
> > 
> > of such a one off device. Given the network nature of Unix/Linux is
> > 
> > there any reason that a Linux client server couldn't be provided
> > 
> > instead with an X Windows Server provided on the Windows laptop to
> > 
> > connect and utilize software that is installed (and hopefully
> > managed)
> > 
> > on the server? While this is overkill for a single user I suspect
> > 
> > that there are a lot more users in the various informatics
> > departments
> > 
> > that might welcome such a service. I hope this helps stir up some
> > 
> > ideas.
> > 
> > Principle IT Engineer
> > 
> > My background is in mathematics/statistics, but I am a supporter of
> > Free Software because of all the good reasons why Free Software is
> > what it is. I do not have any technical background with regard to
> > servers, server client, network, etc and so I feel I will struggle
> > with explaining why I made this request, why I think this is a good
> > OS
> > for serving our patients, and why it would be good for the long run
> > to
> > support GNU+Linux OS computers.
> > 
> > My question for the Libre community is: How do I present my case
> > for
> > 
> > tomorrow to explain why it is beneficial for IT at this hospital to
> > have support
> > 
> > caregivers that wish to work on a computer with a GNU+Linux OS?
> > 
> > Please help!
> > 
> > Thank you!
> > 
> > Crista
> 
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I sincerely hope that you are able to make progress toward getting a
fully Free software stack for your work tasks. I admire you for holding
your ethic ground and having a meeting with management and technical
teams. That is an uphill battle for sure but it sounds as if you did
get very positive feedback and may actually be gaining some ground.

Did they go into more specifics of why they are hesitant to give you a
machine that has a full-on gnu/linux distro? Forgive me if you
mentioned that and I have missed it.


-- 
A guy walks up to me and asks 'What's Punk?'. So I kick over a garbage
can and say 'That's punk!'. So he kicks over the garbage can and says
'That's Punk?', and I say 'No that's trendy!'
        --Billie Joe Armstrong

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