Re: [Fsfe-uk] hacker definition

[Ramanan Selvaratnam]

> MJ Ray <address@hidden> writes:
>
>  
>
> > Actually, another thing that I'm not having much joy with is the OU.  I
> > got so far, but was then told that their hostile "students accepts all
> > risk and no help" towards free software was a policy decision.  When I
> > asked who makes that policy, they started ignoring me.  Can anyone find
> > out the answer?
> >    
I thought this was regarding the support for the distant learning 
courses. eg: the support for M$ IE, Outlook etc. or in the case of 
Bikbeck I found that they supported Netscape on Windows and Mac and 
thats it! The courses are coordinated on a MUD server running GNU/Linux!
There are so many free MUD clients out there on free systems but 
non-free web browser interface is what is officially supported!

[..]


> finished a degree in Molecular Biology, but I thought studying
> part-time 
I do not know about other fields of study but being into 
bioinfo/proteomics myself, it is great to  see highly capable free 
software actively replacing the many 'freeware' that force a limit on 
the OS  or the cost. I would really like to discuss some related issues 
offlist with anyone interested.

In my experience I find that the fellow  students addicted to a certain 
system help the tutors to stick to the status quo as all the confusing 
talk of 'freeware is not free software' gets too much for everyone. 
Especially when the tutors were from a generation when the software 
freedom was not an issue and now they have to put up with the non-free 
administrative document formats anyway.
Maybe the the ones who would stand up for free software never join these 
courses because they haven't been 'empowered' !

The point I am making is that distant study from the comfortable and 
*affrodable* locations will be fair on good citizens only if  teaching 
institutions adopt and support  free software.
It is worth looking into the possibility of presenting a united front to 
highlight this for different  fields  of studies.
People like the OU will have to take notice then.

More worryingly  I have noted that my kid is being introduced to 
non-free software at playgroup that I cannot supply at home!!

The scope of free sofware is truly astonishing and it is time that there 
is one central resource highlighting/promoting this in the UK, to the 
common (wo)man.

Regards

Ramanan