____/ High Plains Thumper on Monday 05 November 2007 20:10 : \____
> Roy Schestowitz wrote:
>> High Plains Thumper on Monday:
>>
>>> Beijing Open Source International Convention Wednesday, 28
>>> November 2007
>>
>> Linux growing very fast in Asia. The Linux kernel now has
>> Chinese translations, for example. In electronics, Linux is
>> used very extensively in China, but this is sometimes kept
>> secret, so not many people (let alone the press) report this.
>> Linux is not a sleeping giant. It's a giant that grows very
>> quietly, under everyone's nose.
>
> Linux is growing everywhere. No amount of FUD will ever overcome
> that fact. Here is a little known one about the Mediterranean.
> It occurred two years ago and slipped under the radar:
>
> http://dhn.gv.ca/2005/12/05/another-large-linux-deployment/
>
> [quote]
> Another large linux deployment
>
> I just read that Macedonia has deployed 5,000 linux installations
> in 468 schools and 182 computer labs nationwide, an effort by the
> Free Software Macedonia organisation. They are using the
> exciting, user friendly distribution called Ubuntu. Schools seem
> a natural place for linux desktops. I know a professor who is
> currenlty working on linux installations on computers that will
> be shiped to a Christian School in Belize.
>
> Filed under: literacy, open source on December 5th, 2005
> [/quote]
>
> US has considerable negative press, being pro Microsoft.
> Interestingly enough, it was a US agency that assisted in the
> deployment. Figuring that XP licence is about $50 per PC and
> Office another $100, that would be a $3/4 million US or £361K
> quid loss for Microsoft. How dare they fail to "pony up the
> bucks!" :-)
>
>
http://www.gnomejournal.org/article/33/macedonia-deploys-5000-gnome-desktops-in-public-schools
>
> or http://tinyurl.com/ysx8gk
>
> [quote]
> Macedonia Deploys 5,000 GNOME Desktops in Public Schools
>
> 2 December 05
>
> When the Republic of Macedonia decided to deploy Linux in 468
> schools and 182 computer labs nationwide, they chose GNOME on an
> Ubuntu distribution. Arangel Angov met with Darko Arsov,
> Technology Integration Manager at the Education Development
> Center, to find out more about their reasons for using GNOME.
>
> The Republic of Macedonia is a small country in Southern Europe
> with a population of around 2 million. Internet penetration is
> only around 5% and software piracy is rampant. Also, the
> government does not play any major role in the development of the
> ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) and a private
> sector is dominated by Microsoft technologies.
>
> Given the circumstances, one would not expect any free software
> related stories to make the headlines. Yet the presence of a
> small volunteer organization by the name Free Software Macedonia
> is making a big difference in this small country.
>
> At the time of writing this article, all major Free Open Source
> Software (FOSS) projects have either been translated or were
> close to being translated in Macedonian language. Tools such as
> spell checkers are also under development. Although, resources
> are scarce, dedication and enthusiasm has kept these projects going.
>
> This particular write-up is about implementation of GNOME.
>
> It was in early August that a friend of mine told me about a
> project involving mass deployment of FOSS in public schools
> throughout the Republic of Macedonia.
>
> After a little research, I found out that the project involved
> deployment of Ubuntu Linux, which comes with GNOME as a default
> desktop environment. About 5000 PC’s in all of the public schools
> in Macedonia, both primary and secondary, got Ubuntu and GNOME
> deployed on them.
>
> As a part of a joined project called “E-School.MK”, US Agency for
> International Development (USAID), Education Development Center
> (EDC) and the Macedonian Ministry of Education and Science (MoES)
> decided to install Ubuntu Linux in all the 468 schools and some
> 182 computer labs all over the country.
> [/quote]
The main issue is that what does not appear in the press is assumed never to
have happened.
Linux is a free operating system. Unless a company like Novell is behind the
deployment (which is not free), nobody will utter a word about it. Microsoft,
on the other hand, has an extensive network of PR agencies that lean on
journalists. I can provide references to articles which show how the Microsoft
Press Machine(R) works and how they are pressuring publishers to praise
Microsoft and give coverage to Microsoft products.
--
~~ Best of wishes
Roy S. Schestowitz | "I blame God for making me an atheist"
http://Schestowitz.com | RHAT Linux | PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
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