Post #41,900
6/11/02 12:55:38 AM
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First Draft. Comments Encouraged.
This is the first (very rough) draft of the letter I'm sending to my daughter's Middle School principal and Superintendent of Schools. Please help me polish this, I want to send it before she starts school. Thanks to All in Advance.
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My daughter will be beginning study at Lakeland Middle School in the Fall of 2002. It has come to my attention that during the course of her study she will be required to complete numerous assignments with the aid of a computer and computer software. Having been a professional in the information technology field for better than sixteen years, I am certain that I can assist her in the completion of these assignments.
I am writing to you out of a sense of concern. As you know, Microsoft Corporation has been found guilty of illegally leveraging their desktop operating system monopoly. This decision has been upheld through appeal and as of yet, Microsoft has not contested the fact that they have violated at least two sections of the Sherman Act. They have thus conceded the fact that they have violated the laws of the United States.
I'm certain that your school district makes use of Microsoft software as a part of the required curriculum in your schools. I am writing to you, as a concerned parent, to request that my daughter be excused from any assignments requiring the use of Microsoft software. I do not wish to contribute to the furtherence of a criminal conspiracy, nor do I wish my daughter to learn the lesson that "if a monopoly is powerful enough, you have to conform and pay them notwithstanding their illegitimacy."
As an information technology professional, I can assure you that software alternatives exist for anything the criminal Microsoft Corporation produces. If you'd like, I'd be happy to meet with you and anyone else you deem appropriate to discuss the alternatives with you. It is entirely likely that these alternatives would not only provide better instructional material, but would save the school district significant amounts of money as well. For example, several school districts have adopted Red Hat Linux as their operating system and Open Source software as the source for their educational software needs. I would be happy to discuss these alternatives and put you in contact with school systems who have abandoned the "Microsoft Tax" on public education.
Whatever your decision regarding the software your school corporation uses, please understand that I am absolutely convinced that my daughter's education should not be dependant upon the use of software from a criminal organization.
Nothing, save a learning of becoming dependent upon an illegal monopoly, will be lost in my daughter's education if she is excused from using Microsoft software. I am not asking that she be excused from assignments, she will complete them at home with software that does not have its origins in a criminal enterprise; I am only stating formally that I will under no circumstances subject my daughter to the inculcation of the notion that she must aid and abet a criminal activity, and that is precisely what using Microsoft software is.
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bcnu,
Mikem
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Post #41,902
6/11/02 1:14:45 AM
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Well . . .
I'd drop the word "criminal" and substitute something more descriptive of a company that has been found guilty in a civil proceeding, not a criminal court. They may be criminals, but this is not yet certified by the courts. Perhaps "unethical" in one spot and "willfuly violates the laws of our country" in another.
You might mention Star Office as being similar to Microsoft Office in scope and scale, and it's your call if you want to mention it can read and write Microsoft formats.
[link|http://www.aaxnet.com|AAx]
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Post #41,930
6/11/02 10:40:05 AM
6/11/02 10:40:59 AM
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Re: Well . . .
I'd like to echo Andrew's advice. We all know they're a criminal enterprise, but when you're trying to make a point, (esp. with those who claim to be educated), "hot button" words like "criminal" must be used judiciously, unless they can be proven to be true. Since Micros~1 has not been found guilty of a criminal violation of the law, using "criminal" will likely be a turn-off, and could lower your credibility.
Just a thought...
jb4
"I remember Harry S. Truman's sign on his desk. 'The buck stops here.' Strange how those words, while still true, mean something completely different today." -- Brandioch
Edited by jb4
June 11, 2002, 10:40:59 AM EDT
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Post #41,985
6/11/02 4:30:44 PM
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Points well taken.
"Criminal" would not have made the final draft as I will not have had so many Foster's Lagers before typing it, as I did in the post ;-)
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Post #41,904
6/11/02 1:33:05 AM
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Make sure they use M$
In all likelyhood they do, but they may use Macs. My son's school has all Macs, but he's not old enough to have any use for office software so I don't know if they have Office for Mac on them.
I echo Andrew's comments as well.
-----
Steve
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Post #41,910
6/11/02 3:27:20 AM
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Re: First Draft. Comments Encouraged.
Post it on the Twiki. Let's hone this one to a razor edge.
Peter
[link|http://www.debian.org|Shill For Hire]
[link|http://www.kuro5hin.org|There is no K5 Cabal]
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Post #41,918
6/11/02 9:19:45 AM
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Karsten posted it there
[link|http://twiki.iwethey.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/LettersAboutMicrosoft|[link|http://twiki.iwethey.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/LettersAboutMicrosoft|http://twiki.iwethe...outMicrosoft]]
I already made a minor edit in the last paragraph and added some comments at the end.
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Microsoft offers them the one thing most business people will pay any price for - the ability to say "we had no choice - everyone's doing it that way." -- [link|http://z.iwethey.org/forums/render/content/show?contentid=38978|Andrew Grygus]
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Post #41,952
6/11/02 12:13:18 PM
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Couple of nits to pick
do not wish to contribute to the furtherence of an ongoing illegal enterprise
Illegal enterprise? Last time I checked, having an enterprise isn't illegal. Leveraging your monopoly is.
How about:
do not wish to contribute to the furtherence of illegal practices by an abusive monopoly
Same thing goes for:
become dependent upon an illegal monopoly
Monopolies aren't illegal. Leveraging said monopoly is.
Change to:
become dependent upon an abusive monopoly
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Post #41,961
6/11/02 12:35:35 PM
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Picking right back
Illegal enterprise? Last time I checked, having an enterprise isn't illegal. Leveraging your monopoly is.
And that's the enterprise I'm talking about. ;)
Monopolies aren't illegal. Leveraging said monopoly is.
And since this one is proven in court to be maintained by abusive leveraging, this monopoly is illegal.
Although your wordings would probably be better in a court, and work just as well for this.
===
Microsoft offers them the one thing most business people will pay any price for - the ability to say "we had no choice - everyone's doing it that way." -- [link|http://z.iwethey.org/forums/render/content/show?contentid=38978|Andrew Grygus]
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Post #41,913
6/11/02 4:54:29 AM
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Comments.
Maybe a \ufffd or two, clarifying that this is not merely a 'partisan' ABM screed? In the end you'll need to cut all deadwood, including most of this prose. But maybe a few angles here, rephrased according to your own style:
My concerns are not only regarding the furtherance of an organization which has demonstrated an unwillingness to obey US (and other nations') laws - I wish my daughter not to be subject to the bad habits which this unstable software *inculcates in its users:
* love that word - and it should hit a nerve with er 'pedagogues' :-)
The idea that computers must crash often - and then be reloaded and reconfigured, a time-wasting and negative experience. Nor the idea that the 'source code' for computer software should be secret; never examined by a wide variety of competent people, so that it may be seen to be secure enough to use in a world where (especially the monopoly software) is increasingly vulnerable to attack. This need not be 'normal experience' and I don't wish her to imagine it is.
I wish for her to become aware of the capabilities of professional and not toy-quality software, and not to be seduced by Disney-like features which add nothing to the completion of tasks, or understanding of how these tasks are accomplished.
These proprietary features distract from her learning the basic processes which it is essential she come to understand: so that she can make intelligent decisions in the future, knowing for example - what a "file manager" is - and not imagining that it is something called an "Explorer" or other \ufffdlogo. Animated pictures of papers moving from one box to another may entertain, but they do not educate.
In brief, I wish her to learn what computing is about and what "open source" means for its future development (and why) - and not simply what the current monopoly wishes to substitute for that future, perpetually.
Etc.
('Course they may well say ~ "Well!! It's good enough that our President uses it! and anyway - didn't Bill Gates invent the personal computer? yada ugh) Hard to edjacate an edjacator who's latched on to a juicy freebie, and doesn't Want to hear it causes mind cancer.
Luck
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Post #41,962
6/11/02 12:43:39 PM
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a couple of suggestions
tootle over to the school and ask a few questions, they might be a macjihad shop. Tone the letter to make the brevity points of
As a parent who wishes to teach my child ethical business practices we do not allow her to use $MS products at home and will not allow her to use them at school. Any projects requiring a computer must be done on non MS platforms and software. Any deviance from this will result in a law suit charging separation of church and state. My church of Luddite inc. Does not allow worship of BG.
well sorta,
ya get the ton.
thanx,
bill
TAM ARIS QUAM ARMIPOTENS
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Post #41,987
6/11/02 4:35:59 PM
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Xcellent.
The Church of Luddite, I like it. They are a Windows shop, btw, as was their elementary school.
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