Re: [OS:N:] Wanted: quotes on OSS and education

["M. Fioretti" <m fioretti inwind it>]

Hello,

first of all, thanks to Kevin and Cole for their suggestions.
I realized that I should have been more specific though.

In this article I will not touch at all courseware and how it should
be licensed (maybe another time).

I will focus only on the best way to really teach or (self) learn
software, IT, how to program....  Ignoring completely also the
cost/TCO/security issues.

I "only" want to point out that studying and using _Free_ Software is
the best possible to both:

     learn the specific subject (how to write/use SW)
     mature as a person, because, as I wrote, Free SW:

	    allows (forces) self learning and thinking

	    strenghtens character and self confidence, 
	    since it makes possible/encourages to
	    share, improve the existing tools or build whole new ones
	    if needed 
 
            gives an active, not passive attitude ("OK, let's just
	    push buttons till it's time to pay the next version")

Now, for reasons that will be clear when you'll read the article (I'll
post the URL, it should go online around Easter), I need to
demonstrate that I'm not the first one to have seen this side of the
coin. Specifically, that other FLOSS advocates, famous and not, have
already publicly pointed out for years the advantages above. Again,
ignoring courseware license, cost savings and so on. Just the "FLOSS
is good for your brain and attitude" issue.

Something like (from http://www.elkner.net/jeff/testFirst/, thanks to
who posted this link):

>The common thread that runs through each of these [Free SW] projects
>is the ability of collaboration [...] to greatly enhance learning
>opportunities

I'm sure there are many more around, please help!

Thanks again


-- 
Marco Fioretti                 m.fioretti, at the server inwind.it
Red Hat for low memory         http://www.rule-project.org/en/

Don't think that a small group of dedicated individuals can't change
the world. it's the only thing that ever has.  (read on /.)