Hello one and all,
What a find in northeast Ohio, a web site about change needed today and tomorrow. I live in Lorain Ohio a city hard hit by industry closings. It is now all about the flow of money, keeping bang for the buck and managing to build something sustainable.
REALNEO has charmed my heart with its interest in free and open source software. I have been a Linux user for years and enjoy all the free tools and applications. It is so strange to go into any public library, the pillars of free access to freely available info, and see shelf after shelf of books on the worlds most expensive software. I am told it's because these softwares are used in business and are thus in popular use. What I discovered is that I don't need a $200+ professional name-brand program when I can use a free or low cost program to do the same things, in the same file formats. So if you are in education and you want to teach writing, spreadsheet, presentation, graphics and other computer applications and save money too, use free and open source software. Believe me, the skills are transferable to Microsoft platform software because the tools are the same. Once again, a school might afford a few copies of Photoshop and likewise a few student's families, but the GIMP (Graphic Image Manipulation Program) is free with Microsoft, Linux and Mac versions. I use Open Office.org and Thunderbird which are free also to replace MS Office and Outlook. You don't have to spend the money to sustain Mr. Gates' wealth.
Much, much talk about the digital divide only ends with old computers running old obsolete MS software. Linux will run on older machines (within limits), yet is up to date. Lots and lots of kids instead of wasting countless hours playing games could be designing games and other things because the tools to do so are free and open source. You have to cultivate a creative culture not a bunch of product users. And to top it all off, you don't even have to install Linux on your computer to see what it is like, just download say, Ubuntu 8.04, burn it to a CD, boot Ubuntu from the CD, check it out. It runs from the CD without effecting your MS Windows machine, just don't hit the install button. Then you can shut it down when ready, nothing has changed but your mind. Say you don't want Linux but open source software sounds interesting, go to http://www.webi.org [1] and be amazed.
I also hope that REALNEO becomes the hub for all the fragmented and waning Linux groups. Seems Linux lovers need a central place not based on physical bodies and physical buildings. Then we can flock together when necessary.
My belief is that the grassroot interest in technology is the key to backup and support what industry and business are trying to do but don't have a clue. Where would the car industry be without backyard mechanics, hot rodders and car racers. And we all know from where the personal computer came from, not IBM, sorry. People were trying to be green in the 60's and 70's when it was illegal to get off the grid. So folks, if you don't do it, it won't get done. Free and open source software is a big leg up.
Links:
[1] http://www.webi.org