OLPC and Microsoft

Microsoft certainly has a interesting trackrecord when it concerns  
computers and education :  
  
NEWS://Microsoft Bullies Beat Up Toronto Teacher; Trash His Lab  
http://groups.google.com/groups?as_umsgid=pan.2006.07.07....  
  
On Thu, 06 Jul 2006 16:18:15 -0700, John Bailo wrote:  
  
> http://www.itbusiness.ca/it/client/en/home/News.asp?id=39...  
>  
> "Ed Montgomery, a computer science teacher at Monarch Park Collegiate,  
> said in an e-mail to ITBusiness.ca that he was given a note in May,  
> telling him that the Linux lab would be dismantled and replaced with a  
> Microsoft-based Classroom Migration Technology Initiative (CTMI) lab.  
>  
> On June 21, according to Montgomery, Terry Wister, the head of school  
> wide services for Monarch Park, removed all of the Linux computers from  
> the lab room under the direction of the school's principal, Rob  
> MacKinnon, while Montgomery was out at lunch. When Montgomery came back  
> from lunch, he said all of the machines in the lab were running 
> Windows. Montgomery had received a note from Terry Wister a month 
> earlier."  
  
I'd say that Microsoft software has become a critical part of modern day  
mind programming on schools. Its however just plain wrong. You want mind  
programming? ok, place a normal teacher in the class room. Do not allow a  
piece of propiatary software to takeover for almost 100% that essential  
part.  
  
A frequent used argument in favor for Microsoft Sofware are the widely  
supported apps like MS word and excel. What is the point in teaching kids  
about programs that they will never see in the business world. To earn  
money with programming one should use the Windows platform and Linux  
won't earn you a living.  
  
Well thats just a illusion, earning money with programming only happens  
in dreams. Microsoft controls that completely, or at least thats what 
they want. Next their software programs us, the people. end of story.  
  
The use of microsoft software inside education is not only nurturing a  
mono-culture, its even dangerous. The field of visual mind programming is  
currently already exploited in a very dangerous way inside computer  
shootout games. The windows desktop is a visual mind programming job in  
itself IMHO. What the kids are learning inside their subconcious? I 
dunno, maybe Bill Gates can tell ya. With Linux you at least have open 
source. If some nasty sublimals are hidden, you can track it down.  
  
Do not allow software to take over the essential part of mind programming  
kids. a normal teacher inside the class room should do that. Do not allow  
your kid to grow a 2-bit brain by the use of microsoft software.  
  
Robert  
--  
Robert M. Stockmann - RHCE  
Network Engineer - UNIX/Linux Specialist  
crashrecovery.org  stock@stokkie.net