[ale] Notes from Jun 19th meeting

[Jim Kinney]

On Fri, Jun 20, 2008 at 2:20 PM, Geoffrey <lists at serioustechnology.com>
wrote:

> Daniel Howard wrote:
>
> > Another key Windoz app brought up as a barrier to transitioning to Linux
> > was PrintShop.  However, if teacher's PCs are still Windoz, then they
> > should be able to print banners, science projects, etc. without any
> > problem.  I did some playing around and found a great way to do banners
> > with OpenOffice and Adobe Reader: Open Impress (presentation), set page
> > width to say 22 inches (or multiples of 11 inches), and then make a
> > banner using graphics, fonts, and word art ("Fontwork") gallery, and
> > then copy the entire page.  Then open the spreadsheet Calc and set the
> > page format to landscape, and then paste the image into the spreadsheet.
> >   You can then print the banner and Calc will automatically tile it so
> > you can cut and paste the individual pages together.  Geoffrey, see what
> > your wife thinks of that approach compared to PrintShop, and point out
> > that anyone can do this at home as well as at school, students and
> > teachers without requiring that they all purchase PrintShop.
>
> I know what she's going to say.  Why go through all that when she can do
> it much more straight forward with Printshop.  I know this woman, been
> married 23 years. ;)  Thanks for your efforts, but it's got to be
> something that's going to be much less painful.  Ideally, getting it to
> run under Wine or Crossover office will be the right solution.  I'll
> likely revisit this in the near future.  I'll keep folks updated.


So this person can only buy one car because a different car would have the
dash controls differently and thus they would be able to drive.

Granted this is likely a person very close so I'll try and not royally be an
ass, but, come on! This is EDUCATION!!! IF THE TEACHERS CAN'T LEARN HOW CAN
THEY TEACH!!!
</mostly ending rant>

The reason it can't done with Printshop is that application doesn't run on
the new Mac. They will accept that. But tell them it's a Linux box and they
can't run their windows software, the sky just falls down.

The important point here that I need to make is so many people have been
sold on the "have a need, buy a software package to solve it" mentality they
don't see that the software world has changed around them.

Printshop will run fine on a windows terminal server for those people that
just can't get by with out. Linux thin clients can run rdesktop nidely and
let those that must, run remote microsoft crap.

But OK. What are they printing banners for anyway? _HOW_ do they print
banner? Do they actually have an ink jet printer that supports roll paper?
Or are they printing a pile of single sheets and taping them together?
pdftools is easy to use. They may have to have a button made for them but it
is better than having a windows system to support.

</really ending rant>

Sorry I missed this.

>
>
> > Many thought what made the GOSEF story work for Brandon elementary was
> > the combination of buy-in by principal and PTA first, then being ignored
> > by the district IT staff, demonstrating the benefits, and luckily having
> > the test scores go up.  I'd say we just kept meeting whatever obstacles
> > arose case by case.  Since I'm about to do the whole thing over for
> > another school, we'll see what makes it happen this time.  But we're
> > starting with buy-in up front, and no district IT leadership to battle
> > this time.
>
> I agree completely here.  If you can get buy in from the school itself,
> that gets your foot in the door.
>
> Thanks for a great presentation.
>
> --
> Until later, Geoffrey
>
> Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little
> temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
>  - Benjamin Franklin
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>



-- 
-- 
James P. Kinney III
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