Followup To "When Teachers Are Obstacles To Linux"

An couple of anonymous readers wrote in to let us know about a followup to last Wednesday's story of the teacher who didn't believe in free software. The Linux advocate who posted the original piece has cooled off and graciously apologized for going off half-cocked (even though the teacher had done the same), and provided a little more background which, while not excusing the teacher's ignorance, does make her actions somewhat more understandable. Ken Starks has talked with the teacher, who has received a crash education in technology over the last few days — Starks is installing Linux on her computer tomorrow. He retracts his insinuations about Microsoft money and the NEA. All in all he demonstrates what a little honest communication can do, a lesson that all of us who advocate for free software can take to heart. "The student did get his Linux disks back after the class. The lad was being disruptive, but that wasn't mentioned. Neither was the obvious fact that when she saw a gaggle of giggling 8th grade boys gathered around a laptop, the last thing she expected to see on that screen was a spinning cube. She didn't know what was on those disks he was handing out. It could have been porn, viral .exe's...any number of things for all she knew. When she heard that an adult had given him some of the disks to hand out, her spidey-senses started tingling. Coupled with the fact that she truly was ignorant of honest-to-goodness free software, and you have some fairly impressive conclusion-jumping. In a couple of ways, I am guilty of it too."

Apology

[coppro]

I would like to apologize to everyone involved for being so judgmental, even though I never actually commented on the topic or said anything to anyone. I think I jumped to conclusions too (although the "people are stupid" doctrine continues to perform well).

Not how reporting works

[fastest fascist]

Hey hey hey! What is this? First we get a nice knee-jerk sensationalist story about an M$ drone teacher doing her utmost to keep the kids enslaved to capitalist software, and now you're ruining it all with facts and sensible dialogue between the parties involved? Where would we be if all the major news outlets started following their scaremongering and outright deceitful articles up with corrections and balanced analysis? I mean, what's next, honest reporting without hidden agendas?

Re:Obviously sign of jumping to conclusions

[Anonymous Coward]

why don't some people understand that, especially at the lower grade levels, teachers have to teach to the standards? POSIX _is_ a standard! Now, why are they learning Windows? >_>

Well...

[girlintraining]

So this was less about Linux and more about a teenage boy being, well... a boy. Figures. It would have gone better for him if it had been some ecchi anime. First rule of high school is -- don't point out that the teacher knows less than you do. The second rule of course is, if you break the first rule do so in an epic way.

Re:Teachers have underwear

[Anonymous Coward]

do you think I should suggest installing Linux on her computer?

Only after she drops that restraining order against you, dude.

Re:Teachers have underwear

[Spazztastic]

There's this totally hot teacher that I want to bone, do you think I should suggest installing Linux on her computer?

I don't know... she may need some assistance compiling her kernel.

First comes insinuation, then comes love...

[fahrbot-bot]

From TFA:

Karen and I have talked on the phone now for a couple of hours, here and there. We've come to understand each other more and had she said some of the things in her email that she said during our phone conversations...

Ken and Karen sittin' in a tree. K. I. S. S. I. N. G. ...

Re:Apology

[pm_rat_poison]

Apology accepted, Captain Needa!

Jump to Conclusions Mat

[Ogive17]

Using my Jump to Conclusions Mat it has been decided that I lose a turn.. hmmph

Re:Not how reporting works

[Anonymous Coward]

honest reporting without hidden agendas

http://www.microsoft.com/canada/getthefacts/default.mspx

Re:Cheaper by the dozen

[Dunbal]

I'd like to see a Windows-free educational system.

      What, and do away with the education free educational system we have now?

Re:Boo to bloggers

[scubamage]

That's not super friendly. It is however, alliteration.

Re:Obviously sign of jumping to conclusions

[Anonymous Coward]

When I was in high school things like cell phones, cameras, pagers, and especially laptops were considered contraband!

Yeah, well, when I was in high school, things like cell phones, digital cameras, pagers, and laptops were considered science fiction. Now get off my yard!

Re:Not how reporting works

[madhurms]

Do you mean like, Fox News?

Re:Apology

[Anonymous Coward]

Ah, the first rule of wizardry: "People are stupid"

Re:Teachers have underwear

[the_B0fh]

It really depends on what options you turn on.

Re:Cheaper by the dozen

[hansraj]

I'd like to see a Windows-free educational system

Me too!

I never liked those little brats. I say put them in a windowless environment, put them all in one!

Re:Cheaper by the dozen

[corsec67]

I'd like to see a Windows-free educational system.

True, being able to see outside while sitting in the classroom can be distracting.

But, wouldn't renovation be expensive? Also, they have a higher electricity bill from having to use more lights.

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

NO ! this isnt over !!

[unity100]

now, where is my torch ? and all of you, get your pitchforks, fast

Yah, ignorant teachers

[Spazmania]

Yeah, back when I was in school, I made a pencil drawing of a wico joystick [dabbledoo.com]. The teacher saw and thought it was something else...

Re:First comes insinuation, then comes love...

[BobReturns]

...first comes love, then comes marriage,
Then comes a month trying to get the drivers for your wireless card working.

Re:Obviously sign of jumping to conclusions

[Anonymous Coward]

Here in Portugal (a small country near Spain)

I love how you felt the need to clarify where Portugal is. I don't doubt that plenty of people reading that still said "huh, I wonder where that is?".

Re:Obviously sign of jumping to conclusions

[khellendros1984]

(a small country near Spain)

OK, granted there are a lot of Americans on this site, and we sometimes have a reputation of being ignorant of geography and other countries, but I think most people have heard of Portugal. I mean, for goodness sake...the *pope* gave you guys half a continent...

Re:Obviously sign of jumping to conclusions

[ThreeE]

...like I need someone to tell me where a South American country is.

Re:Teachers have underwear

[morgan_greywolf]

Or what modules you insert.

Re:Obviously sign of jumping to conclusions

[Curien]

You've made a huge mistake.

Re:Obviously sign of jumping to conclusions

[Anonymous Coward]

And there is a hacked version that runs on all platforms called "gimp".

Re:Obviously sign of jumping to conclusions

[MichaelSmith]

(a small country near Spain)

OK, granted there are a lot of Americans on this site, and we sometimes have a reputation of being ignorant of geography and other countries, but I think most people have heard of Portugal. I mean, for goodness sake...the *pope* gave you guys half a continent...

From now on I will describe myself as being from Australia (a small country near New Zealand).

Re:Obviously sign of jumping to conclusions

[LandDolphin]

"Portugal (a small country near Spain)"

This made me laugh. I would like to think that you would not need to say that, but then I remember that you probably do.

And yeah, the education is pretty bad there. Just look at how poorly people in Portugal speak Spanish, it's almost as bad as Brazil!

Re:Teachers have underwear

[jo_ham]

Last time I touched a woman's kernel I panicked.

Re:Obviously sign of jumping to conclusions

[ClosedSource]

"Pffft. When I was in high school, cell phones were the still size of a small suitcase and laptops were still called 'portables'."

Actually, they were usually referred to as "luggables".

Re:Obviously sign of jumping to conclusions

[Hal_Porter]

add isn't retarded either some of the smartest pe ooh a kestrel! look out the window!

Re:Obviously sign of jumping to conclusions

[BlackPignouf]

Well, when I lived in Madrid, my US roommates asked me why TV channels wouldn't bother including this "south-west region of Spain" in weather forecasts.

They swore to god they never heard of Portugal...

Re:Where is any verification of any of this?

[EvilToiletPaper]

I'm just too internet shellshocked to believe anything any more,

That is so politically incorrect, the correct term is 'Blogopathic PTSD'

Re:Obviously sign of jumping to conclusions

[Anonymous Coward]

...500 years ago. But really, you'd be surprised how many people think Portugal is part of Spain.

Yes, but most of them live in Spain...

Re:Obviously sign of jumping to conclusions

[CyberLord Seven]

Well, it is!

Look at the thing on a map. There it is tucked into the side of Spain.

Have you ever listed to Portuguese? It sounds so much like Spanish that it may as well be Spanish.

Therefore, Portugal is "part" of Spain! :)

Re:Boo to bloggers

[julesh]

That's not super friendly. It is however, alliteration.

Which means, of course, that it is freakily fucking friendly, filling our frail hearts with fear of further forthcoming friendliness, foiling our faltering flight, fading our fanciful fantasy of flat, emotionless interactions.

Re:Obviously sign of jumping to conclusions

[msuarezalvarez]

And we all know school kids simply cannot live without CMYK separation...

Re:Obviously sign of jumping to conclusions

[idontgno]

Well, it is!

Look at the thing on a map. There it is tucked into the bottom of Iraq.

Have you ever listed to Kuwaiti? [wikipedia.org] It sounds so much like Iraqi that it may as well be Iraqi.

Therefore, Kuwait is "part" of Iraq! [csun.edu] :)

Signed, Saddam Hussein (FROM THE GRAVE!)

Erm -

[j_w_d]

From now on I will describe myself as being from Australia (a small country near New Zealand).

Wouldn't that actually be a "small continent" near New Zealand?

Re:Obviously sign of jumping to conclusions

[Larryish]

That is why I bought a "Jumping To Conclusions Mat(tm)".

Re:Obviously sign of jumping to conclusions

[vawarayer]

where is spain?

Re:Obviously sign of jumping to conclusions

[eldepeche]

Florida is easy to find: it's America's wang.