[clug] meeting with Kate

Wed Dec 5 22:14:00 GMT 2007

It is great that you are meeting with Kate Lundy.  I apologize if what I have to say has been said before at the beginning of the discussion but I think that the non technical points you could make include:

FOSS software means that all the family can have the same software as there school student which has got to make computer use easier for everyone.  We don't want a 'digital divide' at home where the student has latest MS everything and the rest of the family is on old versions of MS.

Because most FOSS software is not as demanding as the latest MS software (Vista) it can run on computers that people already have, and if computers are purchased then they are likely to be usable for longer.  This is important both economically and environmentally.  If Australia is to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions the last thing it should be doing is buying a million new computers.  See http://update.unu.edu/archive/issue31_5.htm which says "Among those involved in the UNU study, there is broad agreement that measures to extend the useful life of existing equipment are the most important pieces of a proposed framework for the environmental management of computers in the future."

Caroline Le Couteur
Executive Director
Australian Ethical Investment

Tel: +61 2 6201 1921
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-----Original Message-----
From: linux-bounces+clecoute=austethical.com.au at lists.samba.org [mailto:linux-bounces+clecoute=austethical.com.au at lists.samba.org] On Behalf Of tridge at samba.org
Sent: Wednesday, 5 December 2007 5:57 PM
To: Robert (Bob) Edwards
Cc: CLUG List
Subject: [clug] meeting with Kate

Bob,

I've arranged to meet with Kate Lundy next Thursday at 10am. She
didn't have many open slots so I took what was available. I hope you
can make that time too.

I think the main message we should try to get across is not so much a
push of FOSS for its own sake, but try to answer the question "how can
FOSS help?"

I think we shouldn't aim to demo too much - I suspect we more need
time to discuss with Kate how using FOSS to further the education aims
of the new government could work. For example, I don't think using
FOSS should necessarily be mandated, as that might create a lot of
resentment, instead I'd like to see the federal government providing
support to help make FOSS a choice that is easy to make, and to help
point out the advantages for schools that might choose to use it.

I'll also bring an OLPC laptop along, which might be interesting for
primary school use in parts of Australia (especially outback
locations) given its very robust nature.

Cheers, Tridge

PS: James, I will email Kathryn Moyle as well and see if she is
interested in this 
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