[Edu-sig] linux essay

[Marilyn Davis]

Hi Conrad,

Good for you for teaching your students about Linux.  You bring up a good
set of points.

Actually, it's more accurately called "The GNU System".  Linus Torvalds
wrote the kernel, or parts of the kernel.  GNU is really responsible for
its existence.  Richard Stallman should be thanked regularly.

A big feature in my eyes is that the GNU system is immune to mail
viruses -- so far.

It's more robust because it is open source and all the code gets checked
and re-checked and discussed and re-discussed.  There are strict coding
standards for code to be included in the GNU body of code.  What standards
are there in MS?  Who knows.

They say there are two approaches to software quality: 1) Schedule-driven
quality, or 2) Quality-driven schedule.  You have to choose.  Which is MS?  
Which is the GNU system?

Personally, I love the GNU system development environment: emacs, gdb,
gcc, and python development under emacs.  It takes longer to learn to use
the GNU development environment but once you learn it, you can be more
productive than people working in a mouse-based environment.

A bad point, I once read that people using the GNU development environment
get more repetitive stress syndrome, maybe because the development work
goes so fast and gets so intense.  I'm a victim of that myself -- but
doing very well these years.

It's good to run your spell-checker over an essay ... saves embarrassment
and sets a good example for your students.

And it's an odd thing about English that "it's" means "it is", and the
possessive "its" doesn't have an apostrophe: its licensing, its
philosophy, etc.  A spell-checker can't help there.

I hope some one tells me if I have that backward.

Can you talk about the socio-political model that each OS represents?
Distributed power rather than huge hierarchical power all centered in
Bill Gates?  Who wants to be a pawn in the MS business model?!  Who
wants their children to inherit such a world?

Good luck empowering your students with the GNU system.

Thanks for the read.

Marilyn Davis