brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton) (08/02/85)
The poster describes a school lab where piracy paranoia from above has lead to a situation where students have to buy and bring in their own software. The poster asks for solutions. First of all, the above situation sounds like it would do more to encourage theft on the part of the students, but that aside... The real solution to this sort of thing (schools getting sued) is behind us now. If teachers, seing software theft by their fellow teachers, had decried the theft and taken steps to report it to the principal or somehow stop it, things would be a lot different. If teachers hadn't developed a reputation for stealing by openly practicing theft in front of the students, things would be a lot better. If people hadn't cried about the lack of good software for schools while stealing what they could get. --------- Ask developers what their attitudes are concerning schools. Ask them if they write software for schools, and if not, why not. But nobody listened back then. --------- There are some solutions now. Ask the developers for a site licence. This is becoming more and more popular. See if you can get stuff on a board or state/province wide basis. That's how I'm working now. Otherwise teachers are in trouble, because the actions of some teachers have given all teachers the reputation of untrustworthy theives. It's no wonder they are having a hard time today. If the honest people in education had worked to halt the dishonest, we wouldn't be in the trouble we are in. -- Brad Templeton, Looking Glass Software Ltd. - Waterloo, Ontario 519/884-7473
phil@amdcad.UUCP (Phil Ngai) (08/04/85)
I'm a little confused. Is the problems with teachers who steal software
and use it in their classes or with students who steal software from
the labs and take it home? A site license wouldn't help with the latter.
--
I like vegetables that start with "a". Artichokes, avocadoes, etc.
Some of the "b"s are ok, like broccoli, but brussels sprouts are out.
As for cabbage, forget it!
Phil Ngai (408) 749-5720
UUCP: {ucbvax,decwrl,ihnp4,allegra}!amdcad!phil
ARPA: amdcad!phil@decwrl.ARPA