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Re: [LUG] fileserving..



On Mon, Oct 08, 2001 at 09:22:58AM +0100, Howard Coakley wrote:
> 
> > I am intending to use SUSE to act a a fileserver for a home network of 4
> > Win98 boxes.
> 
> Why not just convert the whole lot to linux ????
> 
> Cos the kids learn Microsoft at school and turning them into into Linux
> advocates at their age is not likely to help them with their education.

This is questionable to say the least. What business has the school got
indoctrinating the kids to Microsoft, it surely wouldn't be tolerated in
any other area of knowledge. The medium is the message, and the message 
here is that software all comes from the States, and when it frequently
doesn't work there's bugger all you can do about it apart from put your
name down for the next expensive upgrade. It's not as though MS products
are particularly stable from year to year, the whole thing could be
redesigned at any time. The MAC GUI is probably much more reliable in this
respect. But who knows what computer interfaces will be like in ten years
time. (Ten years ago, if you enrolled for a office computer course, you'd
probably have been taught CP/M -- hands up anyone who remembers that!)
The point is if all you're ever going to do is point and click you really
don't need to worry much what OS you're running under, and as time goes
on this layer will impinge less and less on the end user. On the other
hand, for the few hackers-to-be, with Linux the road is open and guides
are there to be found, whereas MS just cultivates mindless wonder and
dependancy.

Forgive the rant, schools should be looking to the future not the past.
But of course, I shouldn't be so naive as to think there's any connection
between school and education!

Keith



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