Mountain Moot: Unplugging from the Commercial Software Grid: Why Free is Better

BE Free Web 2.0 Open Source Public Domain/ Non-Profit Embedded Secret Text http://www.polleverywhere.com/free_text_polls/MjEwNzA1MDY5OQ http://drop.io/r6conference http://sourceforge.net/community/cca09/winners/ Other companies have a paid service, but they give away portions of it for . . . Do I really need to say it? Here, I'll help you, FR_ _. http://urenglishteacher.blogspot.com/ Extensions and Add-Ons http://extensions.services.openoffice.org/project/pdfimport http://www.google.com/support/a/bin/answer.py?answer=67775 Poll Everywhere http://www.polleverywhere.com/multiple_choice_polls/NTY5OTYxNDA0 http://drop.io/MayerBE_FREE http://edu.glogster.com http://www.audble.com http://www.polleverywhere.com/free_text_polls/LTIwNTkzMTQwMDk Amy Mayer, Conroe I.S.D. The hazards of open source are often the same objections made by “experts” about commercial software They usually revolve around the words: unstable insecure availability of support legal issues Open source projects such as, are perfectly viable from many perspectives. But you do have to answer a few questions/objections. Lets Discuss Open Source for a Second In general, major open source software applications are: written at least as well as leading commercial products enthusiastically supported by expert and helpful developers (as opposed to knowledge-free call center staff), transparently licensed (via industry-standard agreements). Leading, expensive commercial products can be: deeply buggy, poorly supported (without steep $$ support agreements) sometimes poorly supported (with steep $$ support agreements) legally vulnerable I now ALWAYS ask: is there a free tool equal or better to the commercial product we are interested? Unplugging from the Commercial Software Grid: A Strategic Path AKA Why Free is Better Even if you Have a Budget Kent Brooks Western Oklahoma State College Austin Moodle Moo 2010 …..and more trouble came upon the land… "We have had requests from your state to bring courses in and we are coming and there is nothing you can do about it" -Greeting at Best Practices Visit to Colorado Community College System 1997 Why Do I go to Google when I want to learn something instead of taking a course at my college. Jason Cole Savannah Moot 2004 Yes I still use Microsoft Stuff and I like them Many Wise People gave us much to Think About So what are the Reasons for doing this... Reason #1 All the really really smart people work for someone else and live somewhere else Reason #2 We don't have to ration technology for instruction Reason #3 We can give our students & teachers a better selection of tools...commerical & non-commercial Reason #4 We can save money on licensing software...YOU WILL have hosting and personnel requirements regardless Reason #6 Free Drives Innovation Reason #5 Free will allow us to automate humanization Unplugging from the Commercial Software Grid: Why Free is Better Even if you Have A Budget #4 we can strategically choose what we want to pay for How did all of this come to pass... In Spite of all this the Kingdom Prospered Reason # 7 Mobile will force us to look for solutions which are not "Box" dependent ...Virtual mounts allowed many proud kingdoms to come riding into our kingdom.... Once upon a Time... …there was a kingdom surrounded by great flying machines… Woe is us ...an Evil IT Director.... Unplugging from the Commercial Grid Not Unplugged ...sadlythere was no gold in the learning kingdom in 2001 Our (IT) orders from the King were to build A GlobalTelecommuncations Network Your allotment of Gold is $12,000* *Please note This is just an estimate and interestingly these are the same orders the pointy headed boss gave theGreat IT servant Dilbert This is where the Fairy Tale Really Kicks into High Gear (2004-Present) Don't You Get What You Pay for? What happens if the guy dies? Reason #8 We do want survive and survive well (sustainability) Who do you call at 2:00am ? What can I do? Understand This ...to use a proprietary commercial expensive LMS (Learning ManagementSystem)... ...was forcing all in the learning kingdom... 2001 ...when suddenly the Duchess of Math(faculty) stumbled upon the powerful LMS, Moodle... ...Given to the people by the great LMS knight Martin of Perth (Australia of course)... ...This tool grew in stature year by year... …and Moodle Grew... ....and people of the learning kingdom saw even small children learning with Moodle ....all the people began shouting How can this be... 2.0 Creative Commons Open Source ...and many skeptics... ...were converted and believed... ...and things began to change as the old ways began to disappear But we will need a developer? $75,000 vs $0 But Open Source is not Free To Most People Open Source = Free What I have pushed which didn't work out: DimDim ClamWin (We almost had an Anti virus "Clamity" Joomla: Good Product Wrong Application This presentation was created entirely with free tools: Jing = Screen Capture Paint.Net = Image Editing Prezi = Presentation (Free for Education) “ I don’t have to put out the light on my candle to light yours” Thomas Jefferson If you are not sharing it is not education David Wiley West Coast Moot 2011 Licensing In 2012 "Open" is not an absolute term, but as a continuum along which various content and services can be arrayed. But can it grow with us? Kent Brooks Casper College Casper WY May 2012 Mountain Moodle Moot Helena MT http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3659/3348380142_6f1efea711.jpg But can it do everything we need/require? VS. Geographic Local of students in any recent semester "I'll get the sales team to get you pricing" Any Random Vendor at Any Random Trade Show 1997- present …In a land far away… ...the next one is a prediction... “The case is a loser” - Johnnie Cochran, on soon-to-be client O.J.'s chances of winning, 1994. Kent Brooks IT Director www.caspercollege.edu www.kentbrooks.com kentbrooks@kentbrooks.com twitter @kentbrooks Thanks and Have a Great Evening The tast of Open Source is sweet when my vendors and I meet. I fell for it like a child. I fell into an LMS fire I fell into a proprietary LMS fire. Our server went down and the prices got higher And it burns burns burns….. That LMS fire. That LMS fire Our server went down and the prices got higher And it burns burns burns…..that LMS fire. That LMS fire. Open Source Software is software for which the source code is freely and publicly available, though the specific licensing agreements vary as to what one is allowed to do with that code. What if someone buys it? Reason #9 Vendor Churn Reason #10 Community http://www.flickr.com/photos/n_corboy/