[Edu-sig] OLPC: $175 and Windows capable

[kirby urner]

On 4/29/07, Jeff Rush <jeff at taupro.com> wrote:
> kirby urner wrote:
> >> The question 'is Linux in trouble?' is of course entirely rhetorical
> >> and it's not.  The students I'm working with already have a well
> >> developed hacker ethic:  if the source is closed, it's "for dummies"
> >> (meant pejoratively, like in the movie 'Idiocracy').
>
> Kirby, I try to follow your posts but this one has me lost.  You seem to be
> upset that Windows is in the OLPC picture, but then below you seem to be upset
> with the GNU folks re something about geeks worthy of sharing?
>

Above what I'm saying is the young hackers I work with understand and
appreciate the value of an open source operating system and so won't
forsake Linux just because Windows is maybe easier to use in some
ways.

This question about Linux being in trouble was from Slashdot, not me.

I'm saying Redmond's inroads with OLPC, with a unit more expensive
than originally targeted, won't interfere with the ongoing spread of
the Linux to the developing young world.

Below I'm saying I'm actually feeling friendly towards the Gates
Foundation these days:

> > I've been feeling very friendly towards Bill of late, ever since his Foundation
> > hired away a certain school superindent that's been nothing but trouble for
> > us here in Portland.  Yay Bill and Melinda, way to go!
> >
> > When it comes to proprietary/secret stuff, even Shuttleworth'll do that.  It's
> > simply *not* either/or and never has been in Silicon Forest.
>
> Hmmm, proprietary != secret, and the free/open software movement has never
> said there must be no secrets in general, just in source and even then under
> certain circumstances of distribution, so I'm struggling here.
>

Actually, proprietary and secret are *very similar* concepts.  The
easiest and most effective way to keep a driver proprietary is to not
publish the source code.

But of course you're right that much may be done to protect trade
secrets and/or patents through licensing, other legal maneuvers.

Those tend to fall apart internationally though, given lax enforcement
-- it's easier to just *not share* the source code in the first place.
 And of course we all know that Linux is a primary platform for closed
source applications.

> > I've sparred with Stallman on precisely this issue:  what if geeks don't see
> > other geeks worthy of sharing with, in that opponent culture?
>
> And I've never thought of the free/open software movement as being an opponent
> culture... what am I missing?
>

You're missing the fact that many of us think of the free/open
software movement as a counter-culture, fighting back against a more
selfishly devised economy
that artificially creates scarcity as a way to fuel corporate welfare
for unimaginative
lawyers, other brands of middle man.

Engineers needed more freedom, a more intelligent way to collaborate.
I think it's misguided to pretend new ethics of the bazaar aren't a
threat to those of an old guard status quo cathedral.

> > Sometimes a counter-culture just reserves for its own, OK?
>
> ??? "reserves for its own"
>

Keeps unto itself, doesn't share willy nilly with the opposition.

Has certain advantages ("high cards") which stay out of view, hidden, by design.

Like you said yourself, nothing about GNU forbids us keeping our secrets.

> > Like, I probably won't be writing up my Saturday Academy classes in such
> > detail any more.  That's work I do for a paying client.  If curious,
> > enroll in a gnu math course near you, and experience the difference our
> > charming snake makes.
>
> Sarcasm, re not writing them up anymore or are you really making such a major
> shift in direction?  What did GNU do to tick you off and make  you close your
> materials?
>
> -Jeff
>

Not closing my already published world-readable materials, e.g. my CP4E stuff
@ Oregon Curriculum Network.

Not ticked off at GNU folks per se.

Just saying I encounter a lot of resistance and skepticism from snide
math teachers who think "Pythonic math" should just go away and die.
They pretend I'm lost in a private language, unable to communicate
clearly, even as I document and cross-reference everything, write
clearly, teach classes, otherwise make headway against the odds.

So rather than help my competition by furnishing any amount of free
source code, instructional videos and so on (what I've been doing),
I'm now more inclined to give special advantages to inhouse gnu math
teachers who share my ideological leanings.

For example, Portland has an opportunity to leap frog other cities,
when it comes to how it teaches math to its own.

Do I want to work my butt off to make sure the competition at the
University of Michigan gets all my best ideas for free?

Actually no, I'd rather focus my energy where its appreciated and let
those clinging to their competing math curricula fend for themselves.

Bottom line:  It's not my job to help my opponents become as effective
as my team is becoming in the math teaching department.  As die-hard
buckaneer pyratical types, we'd rather compete (yar!).

http://mybizmo.blogspot.com/2006/09/yar.html

As a hacker geek steeped in open source hacker ethics, I still see
very clearly why I'd want to keep secrets from the unworthy.  And I'm
doing so -- without being hypocritical or betraying my core values.

Secrecy has its place.

Anyway, I hope that clears things up for ya.

As it stands, after writing the above, I went ahead and continued with
my usual practice of documented my math teaching techniques in great
detail -- more than I see most other teachers doing:

http://mybizmo.blogspot.com/2007/04/class-notes-session-two.html

I'm also working on a new movie about viztoyz.py -- but the high rez
version won't be what you see in Google Video or in my blog.  My gnu
math teachers get first dibs.

Kirby