[vox] [fwd] OpenOffice campaign: Cotati-Rohnert Park results

[Norm Matloff]

I live in Walnut Creek, supposedly an upscale school district, but like
all districts these days, they are short of funds.  When their computer
teacher told me she was very worried about the cost of Microsoft
products, I mentioned OpenOffice.  She was aware of it, but refused to
even consider using it.  She said, "I don't want to learn anything new."
To me, as a parent in that district, that was an amazingly unpolitic
thing for her to say, but it may be a common attitude.

Norm

On Mon, Oct 13, 2003 at 04:08:05PM -0700, Bill Kendrick wrote:
> [Posted to the NBLUG list; fwd'd cuz it's interesting]
> 
> ----- Forwarded message from Lincoln Peters <lincoln_peters@hotmail.com> -----
> 
> During Rancho Cotate High School's regular lunch break, I had a table set up 
> in the quad (where most students hang out during this time) with 100 CD's 
> and 11x17" enlargements of each page of the school flyer.  Although there 
> was occasional skepticism (mostly over whether or not it would crash their 
> computers), most students who stopped to ask what I was promoting were 
> interested enough that they took a CD.  Overall, I passed out 64 CD's in the 
> span of the 40-minute lunch break.
> 
> The IT person at the high school was unwilling to install them on the school 
> computers, as he was worried about support issues (he seems interested in 
> OpenOffice, but he's overworked).  However, he was willing to let me pass 
> out CD's to students.
> 
> At one elementary school, I was able to put five CD's and a copy of the 
> flyer in the hands of the principal, who said he'd be willing to install 
> them on school computers and to loan them to teachers and parents.  At 
> another, I was able to leave one CD and a copy of the flyer.  I was not able 
> to visit any other schools in the district.
> 
> I was able to talk to the district superintendent, who was interested in 
> OpenOffice and was willing to have someone look at it.  However, I have not 
> heard back from them yet.
> 
> It is possible that there will be support issues with OpenOffice, so I'll 
> keep an eye on the schools for a while.  I'll also recommend that they join 
> some of the OpenOffice mailing lists.  Eventually, they may develop an 
> interest in other open-source products, at which point I can recommend 
> joining the NBLUG.
> 
> 
> I have 32 OpenOffice CD's remaining, and I seem to remember that LUGOD 
> wanted OpenOffice CD's to distribute at ISSA.  Is there someone who plans to 
> attend both the NBLUG meeting tomorrow who could bring the CD's to LUGOD?  
> If so, I'll bring the CD's to the meeting tomorrow.
> 
> 
> Does anyone else have anything to report about open-source advocacy in 
> schools?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Lincoln
> 
> ----- End forwarded message -----
> 
> -bill!
> 
> -- 
> bill@newbreedsoftware.com                           Got kids?  Get Tux Paint! 
> http://newbreedsoftware.com/bill/       http://newbreedsoftware.com/tuxpaint/
> 
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