[Wftl-lug] Tuxzine

[Jim Asbille]

I decided I would like to chime in on this issue.  No matter what product is
taught in a class the training should be focused on process not product.
Too often training is focused on a product (which can't be help to a certain
extent) but little thought is put into teaching process.  For instance, if I
am trained on Outlook, can I go work somewhere that uses Lotus Notes?  Of
course, the process of email and calendaring is the same although there may
be some differences in product.  I would never think that someone who was
trained in Outlook couldn't come work for me if I was using Lotus Notes.

The same holds true for Office products, web page building, etc. Here's an
example of what I mean.  I am a Business Systems Analyst and as such I work
with a lot of programmers.  The best programmers I have met received
training in programming, not Java, .Net, VBScript or any other language,
Programming.  By understanding the principles of programming and having good
processes they can then learn any language.  I use both MS Office at work
and OpenOffice.org at home.  I know what I need to do and that both products
will do it, they might have different menus but that is just learning a
tool, I know how to do the process.


On 1/10/07, Robert Smits <bob at rsmits.ca> wrote:
>
> On Monday 08 January 2007 15:03, Jonathan Jesse wrote:
>
> > I am one of those that use both Windows and Linux on a daily basis and I
> > still find there are a lot more things that Microsoft and MS compatible
> > software does better than Linux and Open Source software.  Take the
> > software this email is being typed w/ Office 2007 far outshines any form
> of
> > OpenOffice or email client including Thunderbird when used in the
> corporate
> > world.  In fact as much as it pains me to do this but because here in
> the
> > US companies use MS products, I would recommend the schools and even
> > universities teach MS products to better prepare the students for a job
> > which I feel is the role of an educational facility (this is coming from
> > someone w/ a teaching degree).
>
> I'm glad you're promoting Linux, but sorry that, as an educator you feel
> it's
> your role to teach them MS products. I think you do your students a
> disservice by teaching them any particular office suite, especially
> proprietary ones. Students should be taught the basics of how to use any
> office suite not just MS. Open Office is perfectly suitable for that.
>
> > Until Linux and OSS can reach the point where Office/Exchange/Sharepoint
> > are, and the collaborative features they provide, along with the ease of
> > Active Directory/Group Policy management that is what corporations will
> > run. And in my view that is what students in all areas Kindergarten
> through
> > Graduate College should learn how to use and use correctly.
>
> Respectfully, Jonathan, I couldn't disagree more. It's not the job of the
> education system to brainwash our kids to thinking there's no alternative
> to
> MS.
> --
> Bob Smits bob at rsmits.ca
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-- 
Jim Asbille, MSM
registered Linux user number 388067

Every human being is the author of his own health or disease.
Buddha
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