Ubuntu Push to Youth

[Jago6060]

Pretty good title eh? After reading Little Bit's thread about a "kid friendly LUG", I had an idea. Now I'm just going to forewarn that this may be somewhat drawn out but I won't really know for sure until I'm finished :-P

So first some background to help cement my point/goal...I started using computer when I was 3. My first one was an IBM I believe, kinda tough to remember back that far :-P I've been hooked since then. I went from DOS->Win95->Win98->WinXP-> and now Vista. I've been working with Linux in general for about 5 years. Different flavors like Ubuntu 9.04 most recently, way back to Slackware 10 in 2005 when I started college. Ok, now to my point...

I think Ubuntu and the community thereof should start pushing Ubuntu to schools and kids. I know that sounds like I'm asking to push drugs, but I never found out how big and awesome the Linux world was until I was 17! I would've appreciated seeing Linux when I was a kid,so I wouldn't have been captured by "The Man"(his name rhymes with Gill Bates :-P ). There has to be some other ubuntu-ers with me on this right? Post a 'yes' or 'no' for ubuntu to kids/schools!

#Mods--Feel free to move this if its in the wrong section.

[Little Bit]

I voted yes, but I don't mean PUSH as in "you've GOTTA use this!"

I just mean to let people know there's an alternative to Windows and Mac. A wonderful, free alternative that is easy and awesome.

However: Lots of kids are big time gamers. To me that's what the Playstation and XBOX are for. I don't really use a computer for that. For kids like me, Ubuntu is awesomely spectacular and most kids don't even know about it.

So when I say "push" I just mean "publicize." That it's not just for nerds or geeks, but popular kids can love it too!

Amy

[Jago6060]

I voted yes, but I don't mean PUSH as in "you've GOTTA use this!"

I just mean to let people know there's an alternative to Windows and Mac. A wonderful, free alternative that is easy and awesome.

However: Lots of kids are big time gamers. To me that's what the Playstation and XBOX are for. I don't really use a computer for that. For kids like me, Ubuntu is awesomely spectacular and most kids don't even know about it.

So when I say "push" I just mean "publicize." That it's not just for nerds or geeks, but popular kids can love it too!

Amy

I absolutely agree. When trying to phrase my question, I couldn't think of a better word than push, lol.

I am sort of a computer gamer, Spore and Starcraft, lol. That's about it though. Other than those two games, everything is done on my PS3. I recently started working with "Wine" on my Ubuntu box at work. It's pretty smooth. I installed Office 2003 as a test, and I'm going to try Office 2007 sometime soon. I think it'd be important for the Ubuntu community to let kids know that you can still game on Linux. Especially with younger people, males in particular, it doesn't take much for them to turn away from an alternative. Letting them know how easy it is to do things on Linux is very important.

P.S. Thanks for the prompt reply ;-)

[lukjad]

Pretty good title eh? After reading Little Bit's thread about a "kid friendly LUG", I had an idea. Now I'm just going to forewarn that this may be somewhat drawn out but I won't really know for sure until I'm finished :-P

So first some background to help cement my point/goal...I started using computer when I was 3. My first one was an IBM I believe, kinda tough to remember back that far :-P I've been hooked since then. I went from DOS->Win95->Win98->WinXP-> and now Vista. I've been working with Linux in general for about 5 years. Different flavors like Ubuntu 9.04 most recently, way back to Slackware 10 in 2005 when I started college. Ok, now to my point...

I think Ubuntu and the community thereof should start pushing Ubuntu to schools and kids. I know that sounds like I'm asking to push drugs, but I never found out how big and awesome the Linux world was until I was 17! I would've appreciated seeing Linux when I was a kid,so I wouldn't have been captured by "The Man"(his name rhymes with Gill Bates :-P ). There has to be some other ubuntu-ers with me on this right? Post a 'yes' or 'no' for ubuntu to kids/schools!

#Mods--Feel free to move this if its in the wrong section.
Yes, as long as push means make aware.

[Marlonsm]

While it does have lots of benefits, it's not as easy as it might seem. It would require a lot of work to get the school's network up and running again.
Many teachers use Windows software in their classes, and they also use lots of Powerpoint, and as we know, OpenOffice isn't 100% compatible with MS Office yet (I've attached what happened to my teacher's Powerpoint presentation in OOo).
It would be great if it happened, but it would require lots of work.

[Jago6060]

While it does have lots of benefits, it's not as easy as it might seem. It would require a lot of work to get the school's network up and running again.
Many teachers use Windows software in their classes, and they also use lots of Powerpoint, and as we know, OpenOffice isn't 100% compatible with MS Office yet (I've attached what happened to my teacher's Powerpoint presentation in OOo).
It would be great if it happened, but it would require lots of work.

I agree, and I think that's why we need the whole ubuntu community on this. My initial thought would be to start with rural areas as money is always an issue. For example, the high school I went to in Northern Maine, are still using windows 98 due to lack of IT funding. The way their IT situation is set up, you just have one server that stores files, and a bunch of terminals for students. A structure like that shouldn't be very difficult to reproduce with linux correct?

[durand]

Marlonsm has a point. I tried to suggest some open source software at school when our network was being reorganised and new computers being added but it seems that MS have a lot of corporate pressure and even software like firefox and OOo were dismissed. The following year we even became a Microsoft "certified" school which wouldn't have been too bad except that they decided to replace all the computers that were just bought to be compatible with vista which was a huge waste of money.

My point is basically that pushing Ubuntu to kids is a good idea but it wouldn't have much momentum if done through schools, at least not in the UK..

[Jago6060]

Marlonsm has a point. I tried to suggest some open source software at school when our network was being reorganised and new computers being added but it seems that MS have a lot of corporate pressure and even software like firefox and OOo were dismissed. The following year we even became a Microsoft "certified" school which wouldn't have been too bad except that they decided to replace all the computers that were just bought to be compatible with vista which was a huge waste of money.

My point is basically that pushing Ubuntu to kids is a good idea but it wouldn't have much momentum if done through schools, at least not in the UK..

I think this would be one of those things where you'd really have to pick your battles. The town where my aforementioned high school is, they're all about the bottom line. I know they're just one example, but I'm sure other places like them exist elsewhere.

[durand]

I think this would be one of those things where you'd really have to pick your battles. The town where my aforementioned high school is, they're all about the bottom line. I know they're just one example, but I'm sure other places like them exist elsewhere.

Well, you're lucky. My school isn't exactly rich, yet they don't even try to look for alternatives. They sometimes make really dumb decisions that involves a lot of money and I just wonder whether they actually looked at the options rather than just going straight to the commercial stuff whether its the right tool for the job or not. For example, they bought the whole Adobe Creative Suite when all they teach is Flash and even that is a tiny part of the course.

[Jago6060]

Well, you're lucky. My school isn't exactly rich, yet they don't even try to look for alternatives. They sometimes make really dumb decisions that involves a lot of money and I just wonder whether they actually looked at the options rather than just going straight to the commercial stuff whether its the right tool for the job or not. For example, they bought the whole Adobe Creative Suite when all they teach is Flash and even that is a tiny part of the course.

Sounds like your school could use some new IT management. You should apply! :-D

[durand]

Maybe I should. But I just left school :P

I have heard of schools in germany and the netherlands adopting linux a lot more openly. Edubuntu's already making a fair bit of headway so thats pretty good though I think there's a difference between pushing ubuntu to schools and to youths. I've noticed quite a few kids at the school I went to have sort of heard of ubuntu but they all seem to think that it's some magical piece of software and don't actually know what it really is.

[Jago6060]

Maybe I should. But I just left school :P

I have heard of schools in germany and the netherlands adopting linux a lot more openly. Edubuntu's already making a fair bit of headway so thats pretty good though I think there's a difference between pushing ubuntu to schools and to youths. I've noticed quite a few kids at the school I went to have sort of heard of ubuntu but they all seem to think that it's some magical piece of software and don't actually know what it really is.

Lol. That's how Linux was for me before I got to college. I had heard of it and just figured it was some super complicated thing that was above my level of computing. That's exactly the stigma I'd like to cure. Nobody should think that anything is above their level of intelligence.

"If it can be done by man, you can do it"
-My Dad

[Little Bit]

Whether we get help from a nearby LUG or not, I think having a Linux club at my school would be awesome, especially because you need a teacher to be a sponsor/facilitator... that teacher might learn how much money the school could save by switching and pass it along.

I think we'll have more trouble getting past the "geek mystique" of Linux among the kids and administration than we will in finding a sponsor or even getting the school to take a serious look at FOSS.

Amy