About Free SoftwareFree software (FS), GNU/Linux, is faster, more transparent,
freely modifiable, more standards compliant, peer-reviewed,
auditable (particularly important for voting machines), more
secure, and less expensive than proprietary software. It is licensed in
such a way that sharing is not only permissable, but encouraged. Students or others can see the source code, modify it, improve it,take it home, give it away. and learn how it works. Hands-on effort is usually the best way to learn. Unlike proprietary software, open programs can be combined to build even better ones. Software is a lot like math, so it should be an integral part of the math and science curriculum. Students can take FS home, share it, install it, study how it works, modify it, and make it better. It's not just for back office applications. There are 1000's of applications including for office, graphics, audio, communications, database, video, games, etc. Some are listed at http://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Main_Page but browse other directories like Sourceforge or Github for even more. Download Ubuntu (http://www.ubuntu.com/ ) and see. It is free, and easy to install on a reasonably late model computer. For trial, it can even run, albeit more slowly, without installing. Upgrades are polite. There is very little advertising. Support is available. Free software is usually accompanied by free documentation for example: http://flossmanuals.net/ Voting machines should be, if not free, at least open source, so that there are no hidden features. There is a history of problems with proprietary voting machines that should disturb any citizen. http://www.seconnecticut.com/voting_machines.htm There could be additional savings by going to open source
textbooks. For example: http://www.opentextbook.org/
With low price laptops, paper textbooks would no longer be
necessary. The marginal cost of such textbooks, like free software,
can be close to zero. Check out the links at http://www.seconnecticut.com/free_software.htm. Please let me know if there any questions. |