Re: [Fsfe-uk] Introduction

[Robin Green]

On Thu, Feb 10, 2005 at 05:55:03PM +0000, linuxgirlie wrote:
> Hi,

Hello

> Just a quick introduction, as I have just joined this list. I'm Jo!!
> aka linuxgirlie (which I sign up for everything under). I am the
> co-founder of Karoshi (www.karoshi.org.uk) which is (if you have
> worked in education) an Linux replacement for the RM Community Connect
> systems.

Looks like a godsend - everything pretty much preconfigured, right?
Good stuff!

Good to see that other schools are taking it up also. When you talk to
people (from other schools or from Ofsted or whoever) who have concerns
about switching from the "nice safe RM option", what are the main
worries for them do you think?

I know that support contracts can be an issue, so I looked on the
karoshi.org.uk - you have a lot of free and for-fee support options,
which is great, but I wonder if people might fear that it is a bit
"amateurish" compared to RM? For example, there is one guy specifically
offering to go on call-outs - but only in West Yorkshire!

The thing is, of course, any reasonably experienced and competent Linux
professional could probably get their head round Karoshi pretty quickly
in order to provide technical support for it, I would think. But just
saying that, isn't necessarily good enough. It might be worth providing
a directory - or to a link to a directory somewhere else - of people who
could help with general Linux emergencies, and people who could provide
support contracts for peace-of-mind. I dunno, just an idea.

Another possibility might be, maybe once more schools have started using it,
to start up a company and provide all-in-one installation and support contracts,
for any school in the UK that wants it, for a fraction of the price of the RM
alternative. I haven't really thought about the financial viability of that
- I guess you'd have to get quite a few schools to sign on to that.

> I'm a born geek and just love trying to hack, discover and help in
> anyway with the FLOSS/Linux community.

That's great - it's good that we've got people like you "on the inside"
in education, spreading these ideas! :)

-- 
Robin

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