THE OTHER MONOPOLY
THE OTHER MONOPOLY
Dear Linux Magazine Reader,
A fifteen-year-old I know came home from school recently with the announcement
that he is taking a class in computers. I asked what he will be learning – maybe some beginning networking or programming? It seems that the course will instead cover how to do things in office suite applications – like word processors, spreadsheets, and slide show editors. I won’t deny that it makes sense for schools to teach students these tools, although it is perhaps an overstatement to say they are learning about computers when they are learning to type. My real alarm came when I asked him what office suite they were using and he said: Microsoft Office. Perhaps I am engaging in a bit of my own overstatement. I wasn’t really alarmed; I could have guessed the class would be centered around Microsoft products. Still, this episode brought an important problem to light. How much are all those schools, everywhere in the world, paying for the privilege of indoctrinating students into a software merchandising model that will continue to exact tribute for years after graduation? I have no doubt that Microsoft offers a big “educational discount” to enchant buyers. They may even donate software to some schools. But the only effect of their generosity is to allow the school to offload the cost of computer literacy back to the student. A graduate who wants to use this new knowledge will have to either buy their own Office license or work for someone else who has purchased an Office license.
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
News
-
KaOS 2022.06 Now Available With KDE Plasma 5.25
The newest iteration of KaOS Linux not only adds the latest KDE Plasma desktop but sets LibreOffice as the default.
-
Manjaro 21.3.0 Is Now Available
Manjaro “Ruah” has been released and includes the latest Calamares installer, GNOME 42, and much more.
-
SpiralLinux is a New Linux Distribution Focused on Simplicity
A new Linux distribution, from the creator of GeckoLinux, is a Debian-based operating system with a focus on simplicity and ease of use.
-
HP Dev One Linux Laptop is Now Available for Pre-Order
The System76/HP collaboration Dev One laptop, geared toward developers, is now available for pre-order.
-
NixOS 22.5 Is Now Available
The latest release of NixOS with a much-improved package manager and a user-friendly graphical installer.
-
System76 Teams up with HP to Create the Dev One Laptop
HP and System76 have come together to develop a new laptop, powered by Pop!_OS and aimed toward developers.
-
Titan Linux is a New KDE Linux Based on Debian Stable
Titan Linux is a new Debian-based Linux distribution that features the KDE Plasma desktop with a focus on usability and performance.
-
Danielle Foré Has an Update for elementary OS 7
Now that Ubuntu 22.04 has been released, the team behind elementary OS is preparing for the upcoming 7.0 release.
-
Linux New Media Launches Open Source JobHub
New job website focuses on connecting technical and non-technical professionals with organizations in open source.
-
Ubuntu Cinnamon 22.04 Now Available
Ubuntu Cinnamon 22.04 has been released with all the additions from upstream as well as other features and improvements.