Re: [LUG] Simian evolution on redhat 7.0?

["MATTHEW BROWNING" <M.Browning@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> > Hill House Hammond - Linux
>
> Thank you :-) So we, the computing service, seem to be reverting
> back to the old problem of *not* providing students with IT
> experience/capability which is relevant to the real world. Okay, so
> the number of non-windows sites which the students (would) go to may
> well be extremely small at the moment, but it will no doubt grow and
> increase in its growth rate as time goes on (guessing, but I suspect
> it will be so). I rest my case :-) 

It is both humbling and informative to stand corrected, but I hardly 
think that one example disproves the rule.

To clarify, I was not arguing in favour of the policy of 
Windows-for-all but pointing out that the vast majority of employers 
recruiting for non-IT (and, indeed, many IT) positions want someone 
who knows all the shortcuts on MS Office 97 / Windows NT and couldn't 
give a monkeys whether you are familiar with GNU fileutils, the Korn 
shell, or whatever.

True, there are exceptions, but the *exceptional* students that would 
fill these positions are probably interested enough to educate 
themselves and seek out the resources they need to do so.  To 
illustrate this point: I have personally done two University courses 
(not here), one of which had significant computing content, the other 
of which was entirely computing in its content.  Over the several 
years I spent doing these on not one occasion did any tutor, lecturer 
or fellow student approach me with, ``here you go Matt, this is 
Linux, this is - display your directory contents with ll''. 

This discussion is being held, whether you like it or not, outside of 
a real world scenario between people who have made particular efforts 
to inform themselves in spite of what is touted around as the 
received wisdom. It`s rather akin to someone on this ML talking to 
your average web-designer and saying, ``well it looks pretty, mate, 
but its not half way near valid'', and then registering the look on 
their faces. 

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