[PLUG] Why are students/colleges not using *nix systems

[श्रीधर नारायण दैठणकर]

On Thursday 21 December 2006 20:19, Shakthi Kannan wrote:
> Never heard of CDs4grabs of ILUGC?
> http://chennailug.org/wiki/?title=CDs_for_Grab
> You can start one for PLUG.

No. But it sounds like good idea..

> > CS education in US is not the frame of reference
>
> Have you done it? I personally feel it (IT) was one of
> the best learning experience, and real education that
> I took (MS-IT, 2002-2004).

Duh... I am not even computer graduate.. Belongs to some different field, 
where a twisted definition of "belong" means have a degree from 10 years back 
to hang on the wall and never touched anything in that field since.. ;)

> > Well. That is another problem not as apparent as
> > much of availability of FOSS
> > within educational institutes.
>
> That is too broad a statement. There are quite a
> number of institutes in Tamil Nadu, Kerala that I have
> seen who use FOSS extensively. They don't market it
> out, but they use it. I am not familiar with Pune.

And I am not familiar with much of pune either. Stopped going out at least 
about an year back but was interacting with a college till march because I 
was guiding a project.

I would rate pune to be very bad though. People still visiting college might 
disagree though. 

> > With FOSS, that ecosystem is absent
>
> Nah! That is too broad a statement. It is vibrant in
> the Indian industry, and in few academic institutions
> in India.

Please reread my statements. I meant an ecosystem that provides shelter for 
"will-I get-Job-if-I-learn-linux-otherwise-linux-is-crap" (substitute linux 
with any other technology) mentality. I don't think FOSS can take it.. There 
are technologies out there who has such an ecosystem, which would remain 
nameless.. ;0

> > I did some workshops/lectures for PLUG and frankly
> > it is tiring to answer same
> > questions over and over again and with academia, you
> > have to play the same
> > game once new academic years started. I have no
> > interest and more importantly
> > energy  doing that.
>
> On the contrary, I don't give up :)

Me neither. I prefer to wait for people to evolve where they don't have to be 
chased them but they would listen to some FOSS advocate because they 
understand it helps them.

> It depends on what facilities students in colleges
> have to view such lectures. TV or computer? Do
> colleges provide them, or can students afford one? If
> so, in how many colleges, and how many students.

Come on. If people can pirate movies and show them on cable, convince their 
father that they need computer for college work and stuff it with songs and 
movies, they can certainly get to watch the educational VCDs, can't they?

And that is the motivation that makes go thr. If I hand out a VCD would you 
watch it for 2 hours when you have no compulsion to do it and there are other 
seemingly attractive options? I wouldn't want to answer that.

Bottom line. It would work if people want it. For me, I would just start 
distributing those and not worry about what happens next.

I am taking C/C++. Who wants to sit and when? :)

 Shridhar