Re: [OSS] RE: Local Vietnamese Linux Distros

At 09:42 18.03.2003 +0000, you wrote:
-------------------------
>Dear Stefan,
>
>Thanks for your great comment and idea.
>Could you tell us how to promote our distro as well as the Vietnamese Open
>Office? Any project? Any budget for that?

Well, you don't need to ask me twice for an idea. People fear me for having
too many, too crazy ideas <g> ;)

Today in the News was something, that MoET (Ministry of Education and
Training) wants to spend more than 13 million USD "to get IT into schools".
"By 2005, the education ministry hopes to have half of all schools linked
to the Internet-based Education Network (Edunet), particularly in remote
areas."

School pupils (IT starters) are more easily brought to Linux than to
convert existing users. The "obstacles" are only teachers and school
directors. The purpose of this MoET project is NOT to get the pupils
specific office skills, but general IT knowledge and to connect to Edunet,
i.e. areas where Linux excels. Especially for schools and for remote areas,
they will need a very stable system, which does not require
re-installations every second day.

Now, how do you convince teachers and their headmasters?

They need reliable and low-cost support. Where would money come from? IF
"authorities" would urge schools not to use unlicensed SW for
understandable reasons, then the MS stuff becomes suddenly very expensive.
Alone the saved cost would be already an incentive for schools to use
Linux. Then look to get some funds for support in the MoET's budget. The
Japanese are said to support OSS. Make a project and ask the EU for
support. Jordi: Your turn....

Now, how to implement?
VietKey (and CMC, if they like) could provide training for IT companies on
how to setup and maintain their system. Charge the companies for that
(however, a reasonable fee!). They would hold examinations for those
participants and for techies who learned the stuff otherwise and handout
certificates for successful candidates. Charge some small sum for the test
and certificates.

MoET should implement a policy, that schools get financial support for IT
support services only, if the technicians are certified. And an
MS-certified technician is quite expensive.... Means: for the school there
is another incentive to use Linux.

VietKey could compile a guide especially for teachers. Look to get money
for that from a donor - or the MoET - or a company like SCO/Caldera. Jordi:
....

VietKey and CMC could compile a special "Edunet Version" of their disto
(for server and clients). Make contracts with schools, that Vietkey (either
directly, or via subcontracted IT partner companies) will keep their system
updated.

Consider also, that schools are not a pure "SW consumer" only. They might
provide cheap "part-time" programmers, once the pupils are a bit older and
a bit more experienced.

Another thing, MoET could require, that the schools use for general use
(ok, there might be some exceptions) only SW with Vietnamese GUI. I think,
there are enough good reasons for it. Otherwise e.g. a student who is poor
in English would suffer in IT, just because of his low language skills, not
because of his IT skills.

You may continue to spin this idea further....
I guess, the OSS Taskforce should/could pick this up also.
I am not sure, whether somebody of Edunet is on this list. If none of them
is in the OSS Taskforce, O. Loc might consider to contact them.

>PS. We are just starting localize OpenOffice version 1.0.2.

Great. Only for Linux, or also for Windows?
I got a few minutes ago a "secret message" (SMS) saying, that CMC is going
to upload their localization to the OpenOffice.org site! I have no other
details yet.

Have a nice evening everybody!

Stefan

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Stefan Probst [mailto:stefan.probst@opticom.v-nam.net]
>Sent: Monday, March 17, 2003 6:24 PM
>To: dangtuan@hn.vnn.vn
>Subject: [OSS] RE: Local Vietnamese Linux Distros
>
>
>Dear Tuan,
>
>I do appreciate your clarification very much! :))
>
>At 01:08 18.03.2003 +0000, you wrote:
>-------------------------
> >At present Vietkey Linux is free to be copied and distributed by everybody.
>
>Good.
>Nevertheless, it would be perfectly legal, if you charge some reasonable
>fees for copying, or if you have some "nice box" with manuals, or if you
>include some services (like a hotline).
>
> >BTW Vietkey Linux is not Redhat Distro as someone mentioned, thouth it uses
> >RPM and anaconda lib from Redhat like Turbo Linux and many other.
>
>I meant it is of the "RedHat Branch", like several other famous distros.
>Nothing wrong with that. And ... as said ... this "classification" is not
>from me, but somebody else.
>
> >Open Office (English Version) is included with Vietkey Linux Distro.
>
>OK, then it is probably our common goal to get a really "free" Vietnamese
>OpenOffice version (?). ;)
>
>Tuan, can we (list members, as well as the Linux User Groups) do anything
>to promote your distro - and any other one, which is truly "free" and
>specially adapted for Vietnam?
>
>Best Regards,
>Stefan
>
>
>
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: Stefan Probst [mailto:stefan.probst@opticom.v-nam.net]
> >Sent: Monday, March 17, 2003 12:52 AM
> >To: dangtuan@hn.vnn.vn
> >Subject: [OSS] Local Vietnamese Linux Distros
> >
> >
> >Dear All,
> >
> >can anybody tell me, where Vietkey and CMC sell their distros, and how much
> >they charge for it?
> >
> >Thank you and best Regards,
> >
> >Stefan
> >
> >PS: here an excerpt of an article in Vietnam News of today (Mon. 17.3.3,
> >page 5). I will post the URL of the whole article, as soon as it is online
> >(probably tomorrow afternoon).
> >
> >Headline:
> >Team of Vietkey creators enter big time
> >Author:
> >Viet Thang
> ><quote>
> >...
> >Vietkey Linux will develop a firewall to protect their software from
> >unauthorized copying. However, Hong Anh emphasised that authorised organs
> >should use all of their powers to control copyright violations.
> >...
> ><unquote>
> >
> >A "firewall to protect their software from unauthorized copying" does not
> >make much sense. I assume, that the author did not get the meaning and it
> >should say in reality "a personal firewall to protect users from
> >unauthorized access to their PCs."
> >
> >Also, I find it interesting, that Vietkey's "promotion strategy" is, to ask
> >"authorised organs" to "control" the unauthorised use of MS Software, since
> >their Linux Distro (I heard it is kind of a mini RH distro, with KDE, but
> >no OpenOffice), is obviously free to be copied and distributed by
>everybody.
>
>
>
>
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