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From: D.M. Procida on 19 Feb 2007 09:59
As you may know, the Open University now obliges its tutors - who work
from home - to have MS Windows computers to use its eTMA (Tutor-Marked
Assignment) system.

Linux, Macintosh and other users have the choice of acquiring Windows or
leaving the job, unless they can persude the university to provide them
with a computer.

Does anyone have the stomach for taking part in a sustained campaign
against this policy, to put sufficient pressure on the OU to have it
changed (or otherwise mitigated)?

I can see various avenues which could profitably be explored:

1. a numbers game

the more people who badger the OU about it (for example, via
petitions) the harder it will be for the OU to maintain its
current stance

2. publicity

website, weblog, letters published in print media, getting the
attention of relevant BBC radio programmes and journalists

3. enrolling sympathetic journalists in the cause

there must be plenty of Linux/Mac-using journalists who'd be
prepared to be involved, if only by reporting on the issue of
open standards

4. enrolling sympathetic politicians

the OU is public property in a way that few other British
institutions are. I'd be willing to be that there's at least an
MP or two with an interest in education and IT who'd be willing
to ask questions in the right places

5. the legal issues

there might or might not be some possibilities in this, which
could also include health and safety matters - I don't know

You may recall that three or so years ago I was involved in a successful
campaign to persuade the Co-operative Bank to change its stance on a
similar issue - I have experience of the first three in the list above.

I still have a lot of the press and other contacts from that episode,
and also other useful contacts since then.

Daniele
From: David Kennedy on 19 Feb 2007 10:05
On 19/2/07 2:59 pm, D.M. Procida wrote:
> As you may know, the Open University now obliges its tutors - who work
> from home - to have MS Windows computers to use its eTMA (Tutor-Marked
> Assignment) system.
>
> Linux, Macintosh and other users have the choice of acquiring Windows or
> leaving the job, unless they can persude the university to provide them
> with a computer.
>
> Does anyone have the stomach for taking part in a sustained campaign
> against this policy, to put sufficient pressure on the OU to have it
> changed (or otherwise mitigated)?

Put me down for a subscription.

I had the same fight when my daughter went to university and was told to
get a windoze laptop instead of her ibook...

And, 3 years later, she graduated having used the ibook for the whole
course.

Ditto with my sons previous school. That was never resolved, he just
changed schools.


--
David Kennedy

http://www.anindianinexile.com
From: Nemo on 19 Feb 2007 10:12
D.M. Procida wrote:

> Does anyone have the stomach for taking part in a sustained campaign
> against this policy, to put sufficient pressure on the OU to have it
> changed (or otherwise mitigated)?

Have sent the following:
Sir, I understand that the OU is to compel it tutoring staff to use
Microsoft software as opposed to free software with an interface such as
Open Office org.

Such a move would seem to fly in the face of the exercise of individual
freedom in academic circles. Is the OU really trying to compel some to use
software designed to enrich Bill Gates?
--
Nemo
From: zoara on 19 Feb 2007 10:58
D.M. Procida <real-not-anti-spam-address(a)apple-juice.co.uk> wrote:

> Does anyone have the stomach for taking part in a sustained campaign
> against this policy, to put sufficient pressure on the OU to have it
> changed (or otherwise mitigated)?
>
> I can see various avenues which could profitably be explored:
>
> 1. a numbers game
>
> the more people who badger the OU about it (for example, via
> petitions) the harder it will be for the OU to maintain its
> current stance

I'd be happy to weigh in with an opinion, but would that opinion be
discounted due to having no involvement whatsoever in the OU?

-zoara-


--
"I'm sorry, that's not a hair-related question."
From: David Goodenough on 19 Feb 2007 11:08
D.M. Procida wrote:

> As you may know, the Open University now obliges its tutors - who work
> from home - to have MS Windows computers to use its eTMA (Tutor-Marked
> Assignment) system.
>
> Linux, Macintosh and other users have the choice of acquiring Windows or
> leaving the job, unless they can persude the university to provide them
> with a computer.
>
> Does anyone have the stomach for taking part in a sustained campaign
> against this policy, to put sufficient pressure on the OU to have it
> changed (or otherwise mitigated)?
>
> I can see various avenues which could profitably be explored:
>
> 1. a numbers game
>
> the more people who badger the OU about it (for example, via
> petitions) the harder it will be for the OU to maintain its
> current stance
>
> 2. publicity
>
> website, weblog, letters published in print media, getting the
> attention of relevant BBC radio programmes and journalists
>
> 3. enrolling sympathetic journalists in the cause
>
> there must be plenty of Linux/Mac-using journalists who'd be
> prepared to be involved, if only by reporting on the issue of
> open standards
>
> 4. enrolling sympathetic politicians
>
> the OU is public property in a way that few other British
> institutions are. I'd be willing to be that there's at least an
> MP or two with an interest in education and IT who'd be willing
> to ask questions in the right places
>
> 5. the legal issues
>
> there might or might not be some possibilities in this, which
> could also include health and safety matters - I don't know
>
> You may recall that three or so years ago I was involved in a successful
> campaign to persuade the Co-operative Bank to change its stance on a
> similar issue - I have experience of the first three in the list above.
>
> I still have a lot of the press and other contacts from that episode,
> and also other useful contacts since then.
>
> Daniele
Have you tried telling the Register about this? They might produce some
publicity which would highlight the issue and maybe shame them into
changing their mind.

David
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