It'd be even more impressive if we got Sun Microsystems to back us up too.


Quoting Brian Cluff <brian@snaptek.com>:

> I think the letter really needs a list of govt agencies and other
> large
> entities that are currently using StarOffice with great success. 
> Otherwise
> these politican type with just say... what the hell is staroffice... it
> must
> be crap
> 
> Probably also need to stress a little more that it's prefectly legal to
> give
> every kid in the school a copy of it to use at home, since that seems to
> be
> a large part of the problem, and that it's also multiplatform so they
> wont
> have a bunch of computers unable to run it either.
> 
> Brian Cluff
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> 
> > I want to wtite a letter to as many of my district reps as well as
> Ms.
> Hull
> > and anyone else I can find. Letter writing and Grammar are not my
> strong
> > suits! If any of the Pluggers would like to help me compose this
> letter I
> > would greatly appreciate it. I would like it to be a form letter that
> we
> all
> > can use. I have a vested interest in this topic as I am a father of
> three
> > children two of which are in school.
> >  I really want this to have substance and show the value of
> alternative
> > Operating systems and thinking.
> > My thoughts so far,
> >
> >  I am deeply concerned about what I have read at
> > http://computerworld.com/storyba/0,4125,NAV47_STO63338,00.html
> > Regarding implementing Microsoft Office in all schools for $172
> million
> > dollars. Not to mention that this is an ongoing expense.
> > I fail to see the benifit this will provide for my Kindergarten and
> second
> > grade students of Indian Bend Elementary. I have multiple computers in
> my
> > home that I could to teach them to use Microsoft office. What I
> can't
> teach
> > them is music, one of the programs that they (Indian Bend students) do
> not
> > have on a regular basis. I think the music, art and PE programs have
> been
> > reduced to bi-weekly or less. I think the money used for the Office
> rollout
> > would have been better spent on the quality and variety of learnig
> > experiences our students are offered.
> >  There are also alternatives to Microsoft Office that are free to
> download
> > and use such as Star Office offerd by Sun Systems at,
> > http://www.sun.com/software/star/staroffice/5.2/get/get.html
> > Star Office also has the ability to run on the Linux operating
> system
> which
> > is also free to download and use on as many computers as you like.
> >
> >  *This is a topic I would really like to stress with the groups
> knowledge
> and
> > approval.*
> >
> >  I am a member of the Phoenix Linux User Group, PLUG,
> > http://plug.phoenix.az.us/. Myself and other members of the group
> would be
> > more than happy to assist and possibly even support and administer
> the
> > installation, use and adaptation of the Linux operating system in
> our
> schools.
> >
> >  Thank you,
> > John Wheat
> > ________________________________________________
> > See http://PLUG.phoenix.az.us/navigator-mail.shtml if your mail
> doesn't
> post to the list quickly and you use Netscape to write mail.
> >
> > PLUG-discuss mailing list  -  PLUG-discuss@lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us
> > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss
> 
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