FSFE projects [was: T-shirts]

Frank Heckenbach frank at g-n-u.de
Tue May 22 00:22:37 UTC 2001


Gerhard Poul wrote:

> > > >  - Developing free software to be used as a tool in any level of
> > > >    education: primaire, high school, supérieur.
> > 
> > Oups, some french glided in here: primaire = 6 to 12 years old,
> > supérieur = higher education (after high school graduation).
> > 
> > > I don't think free software works that way.
> > 
> > ? Why should the whole world use free software to do everything, but
> > not education organizations? I really don't get your point here.
> 
> Maybe I didn't understand what you said. - You said the free software
> community has to develop free software to be used as a tool in any level
> of education.
> 
> IMHO free software best works if there is a direct relation between
> problem/solution. - Someone has this problem -> they write software to
> solve it.
> 
> In all other cases I don't think it works if someone is not paid for it.

I think it can work. Think of something like the GNU task list. It
actually has a section "Education", but only two items in it. I
think there could be quite a few more.

In my experience, a number of (potential) hobby free software
writers are sometimes looking for nice projects, and especially if
they are pupils/students, educational projects might be quite right
for them.

So if we make a list of needed projects (I suppose those of you who
work on free educational software, like in OFSET, have some idea
what is most missing currently or otherwise interesting), and make
this list well-known (either by filling in the GNU task list, or
separately), this would probably already encourage some development.
I don't know if further infrastructure is needed (e.g. a mailing
list to discuss things like a common look&feel or i18n issues,
rather than the details of individual projects), but if so, FSFE,
OFSET or another organization could easily provide it, I supopse.

So, I guess what I'm saying is just that it is possible for FSFE to
foster some development in this area, even without paying someone
(and without controlling anything). :-)

Frank

-- 
Frank Heckenbach, frank at g-n-u.de
http://fjf.gnu.de/
PGP and GPG keys: http://fjf.gnu.de/plan



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