free is good

isFREEFREEGood!Good!

AISA • Nairobi • October 2010John Iglar

International Community SchoolAddis Ababa, Ethiopia

FREEFREE

Good!Good!

Caveat:

$£€

≠≠

≠is for spending

CommunityCommunity

http://opensource.com/

http://opensourceschools.org.uk/

http://flossed.org/

http://www.schoolforge.net/

http://www.k12opensource.com/

CustomizeCustomize

Programming

FREEFREEGNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSEGNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE

Nobody should be restricted by the software they use. Nobody should be restricted by the software they use. There are four freedoms that every user should have:There are four freedoms that every user should have:●the freedom to use the software for any purpose,the freedom to use the software for any purpose,●the freedom to change the software to suit your needs,the freedom to change the software to suit your needs,●the freedom to share the software with your friends and the freedom to share the software with your friends and neighbors, andneighbors, and●the freedom to share the changes you make.the freedom to share the changes you make.

GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE

Version 3, 29 June 2007

Copyright © 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc. <http://fsf.org/>

Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this license document, but changing it is not allowed.

Preamble

The GNU General Public License is a free, copyleft license for software and other kinds of works.

The licenses for most software and other practical works are designed to take away your freedom to share and change the works. By contrast, the GNU General Public License is intended to guarantee your freedom to share and change all versions of a program--to make sure it remains free software for all its users. We, the Free Software Foundation, use the GNU General Public License for most of our software; it applies also to any other work released this way by its authors. You can apply it to your programs, too.

LicenseLicense

http://fsf.org/

CostCost● Operating System

● Windows vs. Linux

● Productivity Suite● Microsoft Office vs. OpenOffice

● Applications● Mavis Beacon vs. TuxType

● Photoshop vs. Gimp

● InDesign vs. Scribus

● Inspiration vs. Freeplane

● Communication● FirstClass vs. Zimbra

● Admin/Student Info● Admin+ vs. Centre

200 NetbooksProprietary Software

Open Source Software

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

Estimated costs of software

(based on licenses for 200 computers)

HardwareAdmin/StudentCommunicationApplicationsProductivity SuiteOperating System

But isn't it niche software?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10187248


2007 2008 2009 20100%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Web Browser Usageas reported by W3schools.com

Internet Explorer Firefox Chrome Safari Opera


http://www.webmasterpro.de/portal/news/2010/01/25/verbreitung-von-office-programmen-openoffice-ueber-21.html

But I NEED Microsoft Office...don't I?!

But who uses OpenOffice?

● Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) of South Africa● Ministry of Defence in Singapore● University of Southern Denmark● City of Rovereto (Trento -Italy)● City of Birmingham (UK)● The Guardian newspaper (UK)● City of Berlin (Germany)● French Ministry of Interior● Howard County Libraries (Maryland, USA)● City of Steamboat Springs (Colorado, USA)● Earlham College (Illinois, USA)● Maine Learning with Technology Institute (Maine, USA)

http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Major_OpenOffice.org_Deployments

Who cares about ODF?● Government of Belgium

● “From September 2008 on, all document exchanges within the services of the Belgian government will have to be in an open, standard format, according to the proposal. ODF is the only accepted standard in the proposal.”

● State of Misiones (Argentina)● “Any electronic document created or generated by the state government of

Misiones/Argentina aimed to store and distribute information to state offices and employees must use the OpenDocument format ( ISO/IEC 26300 specification ).”

● US Government● “each agency shall take prompt steps to expand access to information by making

it available online in open formats...…..An open format is one that is platform independent, machine readable, and made available to the public without restrictions that would impede the re-use of that information........”

● Governments of Norway, Denmark...

http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Major_OpenOffice.org_Deployments

Case study

Communication

● Saved money (license, annual license, training costs)● More flexible● More features● Add accounts (all students)● Support from wiki, forum, community● Training available online & in various locations

Productivity Applications

● Save licencing costs● Same version all operating systems● Freely distributable● Keep MS for those positions that need it● Teach students processes, not procedures

Others

● Moodle for all online course materials● Drupal for website creation and management● Linux for servers● iFolder for synchronizing data on laptops● Scribus for desktop publishing

Operating System

● Multiple OS across campus● Different OS promote student flexibility● Linux keeps older machines running longer● Train students to be thinking users, not automatic consumers of one

system

+ +

Bottom line?

Over-reliance on a standard ‘office’ application and operating system restricted their opportunities to develop generic and transferable skills.

The importance of ICT: information and communication technology in primary and secondary schools, 2005/2008

Date: 03 Mar 2009 Publisher: Ofsted

What next?

Start small● Try TuxType or Gimp or Inkscape● Add Firefox as an alternative

web browser● Don't “rip & replace” but

supplement● Add value by setting up a

Moodle server● Explore alternatives for

communication or administration

● Get community support by handing out free software

● Partner up with local schools for training and distributing software

TAK

E TH

EPL

UN

GE

Any questions?

For links and this slideshow

sites.google.com/site/aisafreeisgood

FREEFREEGood!

free is good

Education