No kidding!!!  Anyone got any contacts at Sun?  That would be incredibly
helpful if we had a little of that behind out request.

Brian Cluff
----- Original Message -----

> It'd be even more impressive if we got Sun Microsystems to back us up too.
>
>
> Quoting Brian Cluff <brian@snaptek.com>:
>
> > I think the letter really needs a list of govt agencies and other
> > large
> > entities that are currently using StarOffice with great success.
> > Otherwise
> > these politican type with just say... what the hell is staroffice... it
> > must
> > be crap
> >
> > Probably also need to stress a little more that it's prefectly legal to
> > give
> > every kid in the school a copy of it to use at home, since that seems to
> > be
> > a large part of the problem, and that it's also multiplatform so they
> > wont
> > have a bunch of computers unable to run it either.
> >
> > Brian Cluff
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> >
> > > I want to wtite a letter to as many of my district reps as well as
> > Ms.
> > Hull
> > > and anyone else I can find. Letter writing and Grammar are not my
> > strong
> > > suits! If any of the Pluggers would like to help me compose this
> > letter I
> > > would greatly appreciate it. I would like it to be a form letter that
> > we
> > all
> > > can use. I have a vested interest in this topic as I am a father of
> > three
> > > children two of which are in school.
> > >  I really want this to have substance and show the value of
> > alternative
> > > Operating systems and thinking.
> > > My thoughts so far,
> > >
> > >  I am deeply concerned about what I have read at
> > > http://computerworld.com/storyba/0,4125,NAV47_STO63338,00.html
> > > Regarding implementing Microsoft Office in all schools for $172
> > million
> > > dollars. Not to mention that this is an ongoing expense.
> > > I fail to see the benifit this will provide for my Kindergarten and
> > second
> > > grade students of Indian Bend Elementary. I have multiple computers in
> > my
> > > home that I could to teach them to use Microsoft office. What I
> > can't
> > teach
> > > them is music, one of the programs that they (Indian Bend students) do
> > not
> > > have on a regular basis. I think the music, art and PE programs have
> > been
> > > reduced to bi-weekly or less. I think the money used for the Office
> > rollout
> > > would have been better spent on the quality and variety of learnig
> > > experiences our students are offered.
> > >  There are also alternatives to Microsoft Office that are free to
> > download
> > > and use such as Star Office offerd by Sun Systems at,
> > > http://www.sun.com/software/star/staroffice/5.2/get/get.html
> > > Star Office also has the ability to run on the Linux operating
> > system
> > which
> > > is also free to download and use on as many computers as you like.
> > >
> > >  *This is a topic I would really like to stress with the groups
> > knowledge
> > and
> > > approval.*
> > >
> > >  I am a member of the Phoenix Linux User Group, PLUG,
> > > http://plug.phoenix.az.us/. Myself and other members of the group
> > would be
> > > more than happy to assist and possibly even support and administer
> > the
> > > installation, use and adaptation of the Linux operating system in
> > our
> > schools.
> > >
> > >  Thank you,
> > > John Wheat
> > > ________________________________________________
> > > See http://PLUG.phoenix.az.us/navigator-mail.shtml if your mail
> > doesn't
> > post to the list quickly and you use Netscape to write mail.
> > >
> > > PLUG-discuss mailing list  -  PLUG-discuss@lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us
> > > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss
> >
> > ________________________________________________
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> >
> > PLUG-discuss mailing list  -  PLUG-discuss@lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us
> > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss
> >
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