Heartland eLearning 2011: Unplugging from the Commercial Software Grid: Why Free is Better Even if you have a Budget

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
few questions. 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 $$ support agreements
sometimes poorly supported (with steep $$)
legally vulnerable We 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 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 we still use
Microsoft Stuff
and I like them Many Wise People gave
us much to Think About So what are our
Reasons for doing this... Reason #1 All the really really smart people work for someone else and live somewhere else Reason #2 We can give stuff away




http://free.wosc.edu Reason #3 We can give our teachers a better selection of tools

commerical or non-commercial Reason #4 We can save money on licensing software...YOU WILL have hosting and personnel requirements regardless Reason #6 Free Drives Innovation Kent Brooks

kent.brooks@wosc.edu
kentbrooks@kentbrooks.com
www.kentbrooks.com
www.wosc.edu
1)Click Faculty & Staff
2)Click Kent Brooks
580 477 7764
Twitter: kentbrooks
Skype: kentbrooks
IP video: Upon Request 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



Kent Brooks
Western Oklahoma
State College
Altus OK #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 We are us
and they are them...



but everyone expects
us to be them ...Virtual mounts allowed
many
proud
kingdoms
to
come
riding into our kingdom.... What are we doing right:
Cost Sustainable Projects
We write some but grants they aren't necessarily the answer
Costly solutions aren't always implementable let alone sustainable
Focusing on Teaching and Learning
Reallocating Resources for Teaching and Learning Once upon a Time... Moodle Sing A long
LMS Fire (Sung to the tune of Johnny Cash Ring of Fire)

Learning is burning thing and it makes a fiery ring
Bound by wild desire I fell into a proprietary 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. The LMS fire

The taste of Moodle is sweet when Geeks like us Meet (Moot)
I fell for you like a goober. Oh but the fire went wild

I fell into a proprietary LMS fire
Our server went down down down and the prices got higher

And it burns burns burns…..that LMS fire. That LMS fire.

I fell into a proprietary LMS fire
Our server went down down down and the prices got higher …In a land




far away… Winter Intersession 1 2009 Winter Intersession II 2009 Winter Intersession 1II 2009 Nursing Graduates …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 WOSC 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 Begins
(2004-2007) Disclaimer
All variations in spelling and grammar were added to this portion of the presentation to enhance the ambiance of the presentation and to humanize your experience here today. They in no way reflect lack of judgment, training or overall effectiveness of the content contained on the following pages. or of the presenter. Additionally, any resemblance to any persons real or fictional is merely a coincidence You Get What





You Pay for What happens if





the guy dies? Reason #8 We do want
survive and survive well Who do you call


at 2:00am What can I do?




Understand This ...to use a proprietary
commercial
expensive
Learning
ManagementSystem... ...was forcing
all
in
the
WOSC kingdom... 2001 ...when
suddenly
Princess
Celia
(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 ot disappear But we will

need a developer $75,000 vs $0 But Open Source






is not Free If you are talking Open Source you are generally thinking Free Oh Boy!
GPL = General Public License
GNU= GNU's not Unix
Using the GNU GPL requires all the released improved versions be free software What have we done wrong:
DimDim
ClamWin (We almost had an Anti virus "Clamity"
We had a dip in staffing for instructional support 2008-2010 A Special Thanks to
Patrick Masson CTO UMASS online for a few ideas and images
Amy Mayer for her "Be Free Prezi" Things continued



to Change...