I was really excited to hear Mark speak at our last class session. Honestly, I had no idea what I was getting into. I was totally impressed by all of the cool software out there that is completely free of charge. What I like most about the idea of open source is the philosophy behind it. These aren't people who just want to make a buck, they want to help. Sure, they might want a little recognition every now and again, but most consumers (myself included) would rather give recognition than money (I'm really cheap). I just find the concept really cool.
Just because I find it cool, doesn't mean that I am comfortable enough with my computer skills to install and use open source software.
This questioning of my own skill leads me to question the skills of others as well. Would OSS be useful in libraries? Would the average person be able to use a library computer that supported OSS? Or, would it just be something that the employees used? The Catch-22 here is that pretty much all people know how to use the software from the Evil Empire, which is why it is evil. Training an entire community/culture to use this new software would definitely be worth it in order to bring down the Evil Empire. But... are libraries/librarans/everyday people willing to put forth the time and effort to do so?
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The cool thing is that most open source software is no more or less difficult to use than other software. Once exception is the operating system. However, those are getting more and more user-friendly as well. The version of Linux that Mark gave you guys, ubuntu, is very much like windows. Pop it in your computer and have a try!
Another "new world " has opened up to me. Open source software even got my husband excited which means it will be explored and used on our computer. I just love learning!
I agree, especially when you consider that Linux servers are so much more stable than ones running Windows. I also agree (and I think I have previously written) that patrons need to have the software that they are most comfortable with available to them.
It is cool that there is all this free stuff available, but I too suffer from nerves and lack of know-how in this field. Hopefully, it will continue to become more user friendly as it evolves. It was a neat presentation - I like the bells & whistles (even if they didn't really do anything in terms of the operating system).
i have varied degrees of experience with Open Source Software with various degrees of success. Overall, though, i totally echo the unlib: software written for Windows or MAC or Palm PC in open source is not only easy to use, but it always being improved upon. But beware the OS. Last summer i read one of those 900 page intro to linux texts in a vain attempt to switch from Windows. Learning Linux is a pain. Ubuntu, Knoppix and OpenSuSE are really powerful and can be loaded without even touching your partition, but can be difficult to do more than basic level work on without developing more than a little programming skills. Mandrake, OpenBSD, Fedora, among others, i would never suggest for someone who hasn't mastered Ubuntu or SuSE or hails from the time when UNIX ruled the earth.
Can OSS be installed on library computers for patrons? i can't answer that since i've never undertaken something that requires that level of public training. Have other libraries pulled it off successful? Yes.
Well said.
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