Rethinking software purchases Open Source and TESL John Allan

RETHINKING SOFTWARE PURCHASES Educational technology is one of many requirements for ESL institutions in Ontario. Educational Technology costs can be categorized by networking, hardware, support, training and software. Software costs can be greatly reduced by carefully assessing the options offered by the trend known as Open Source. Open source offers cost effective solutions that perform as well as commercial software and allow for dramatic saving to institutions. This paper deals with the issues of cost, support, training, upgrades and access.

order of presentation open source defined genres cost support training upgrades access If time TESL and open source

open source defined

genres

cost

support

training

upgrades

access

If time TESL and open source

open source defined not freeware not shareware programming code unlocked GNU freely available maintenance contracts

not freeware

not shareware

programming code unlocked

GNU

freely available

maintenance contracts

open source movement software is accessible community development more imaginative software a force in the software industry Sun, IBM, Oracle, Intel, Disney, Adobe, Microsoft & NASA

software is accessible

community development

more imaginative software

a force in the software industry

Sun, IBM, Oracle, Intel, Disney, Adobe, Microsoft & NASA

Hackers was closely linked to the hacker culture dissipating perception

was closely linked to the hacker culture

dissipating perception

TESL and open source? why not TESL?

why not TESL?

why open source reviewed by many eyes independence quick bug fixes Secure industry standards Apache (server) PHP (language) Perl (language) Linux (operating system) MySQL (database)

reviewed by many eyes

independence

quick bug fixes

Secure

industry standards

Apache (server)

PHP (language)

Perl (language)

Linux (operating system)

MySQL (database)

Open source examples Wikipedia OpenCourseWare at MIT WordPress Mozilla Firefox browser

Wikipedia

OpenCourseWare at MIT

WordPress

Mozilla Firefox browser

why open source OpenOffice vs Microsoft Office Microsoft Office suggested price is 147/unit before tax USD OpenOffice is free with most and more of the functionality of MS Office Savings: $$$$$$$$

OpenOffice vs Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office

suggested price is 147/unit before tax USD

OpenOffice is free with most and more of the functionality of MS Office

Savings: $$$$$$$$

TESL Contact – resource…. Attendance: Tau http://tau.sourceforge.net/ Audio file converter: RipIT http://www.suwald.com/ripit/ripit.html Bookmarks: SiteBar http://sitebar.org/features.php Calendaring: Kronophobia http://kronophobia.sourceforge.net/ CD/DVD BluRay burner: Cdrtools http://cdrecord.berlios.de/old/private/cdrecord.html Collaborative learning environment: Fle3 http://fle3.uiah.fi/

Attendance: Tau http://tau.sourceforge.net/

Audio file converter: RipIT http://www.suwald.com/ripit/ripit.html

Bookmarks: SiteBar http://sitebar.org/features.php

Calendaring: Kronophobia http://kronophobia.sourceforge.net/

CD/DVD BluRay burner: Cdrtools http://cdrecord.berlios.de/old/private/cdrecord.html

Collaborative learning environment: Fle3 http://fle3.uiah.fi/

… .TESL Contact resource…. Glossary creator: Glossword http://feeds.feedburner.com/glossword Gradebook: Gradel http://feeds.feedburner.com/glossword Image Editing: GIMP http://www.gimp.org/ Library system: emilda http://www.emilda.org/ Multiuser photo gallery: Photo Organizer http://po.shaftnet.org/ Paper review system: PurpleView http://entropymine.com/jason/purpleview/ Quiz Games: AKFQuiz http://tau.sourceforge.net/

Glossary creator: Glossword http://feeds.feedburner.com/glossword

Gradebook: Gradel http://feeds.feedburner.com/glossword

Image Editing: GIMP http://www.gimp.org/

Library system: emilda http://www.emilda.org/

Multiuser photo gallery: Photo Organizer http://po.shaftnet.org/

Paper review system: PurpleView http://entropymine.com/jason/purpleview/

Quiz Games: AKFQuiz http://tau.sourceforge.net/

… .TESL Contact resource…. Free Mind http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page Survey & quizzes: TCExam http://www.tecnick.com/public/code/cp_dpage.php?aiocp_dp=tcexam Typing: TuxTyping http://directory.fsf.org/project/TuxTyping/ Video Editing: Open Movie Editor http://www.openmovieeditor.org/ Virtual flashcards: klep Klep http://klep.sourceforge.net/

Free Mind http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

Survey & quizzes: TCExam http://www.tecnick.com/public/code/cp_dpage.php?aiocp_dp=tcexam

Typing: TuxTyping http://directory.fsf.org/project/TuxTyping/

Video Editing: Open Movie Editor http://www.openmovieeditor.org/

Virtual flashcards: klep Klep http://klep.sourceforge.net/

Tools Desktop.......... web browser messaging file transfer protocol games word processor parallels the established software offered by traditional software companies

web browser

messaging

file transfer protocol

games

word processor

parallels the established software offered by traditional software companies

….Tools Desktop spreadsheet audio/video player scheduler presentation calculator

spreadsheet

audio/video player

scheduler

presentation

calculator

Tools Communication chat instant messaging video conferencing forums social bookmarks RSS Feed readers collaborative editors (wiki)‏ online journaling or blogging

chat

instant messaging

video conferencing

forums

social bookmarks

RSS Feed readers

collaborative editors (wiki)‏

online journaling or blogging

Tools Creative audio editor and recorder video digitizer and editor word processor spreadsheet graphics editor (both vector and raster)‏ web site editor presentation learning management systems

audio editor and recorder

video digitizer and editor

word processor

spreadsheet

graphics editor (both vector and raster)‏

web site editor

presentation

learning management systems

Tools management...... learning management system content management system video conferencing grade book schedulers web servers project managers

learning management system

content management system

video conferencing

grade book

schedulers

web servers

project managers

.......tools management attendance calendars spreadsheets library systems survey generators operating systems recruiting tools

attendance

calendars

spreadsheets

library systems

survey generators

operating systems

recruiting tools

Training conferences on line (per course) community FAQ community forums community web sites

conferences

on line (per course)

community FAQ

community forums

community web sites

Cost Generally........ open source software is free service contracts packaged to assure quality - Red Hat Linux

Generally........

open source software is

free

service contracts

packaged to assure quality - Red Hat Linux

access software, patches and upgrades on line many passwords (tracking the community)‏ access to developers is advantageous access to other end users is advantageous

software, patches and upgrades on line

many passwords (tracking the community)‏

access to developers is advantageous

access to other end users is advantageous

support lone wolf community on line conferences contract with 3 rd party providers

lone wolf

community on line

conferences

contract with 3 rd party providers

upgrades based on work of the community based on demands of the community sub upgrades – minor major upgrades up and downwardly compatible unless a major shift in authoring (move from PHP to Javex)‏

based on work of the community

based on demands of the community

sub upgrades – minor

major upgrades

up and downwardly compatible unless a major shift in authoring (move from PHP to Javex)‏

caveats developed outside of a company administrators require dependable support breach of existing contracts instructor persecution

developed outside of a company

administrators require dependable support

breach of existing contracts instructor persecution

open source can… expand your software tools in the areas of communication, administration, development and educational delivery save budget funds in upgrades, new acquisitions, wide variety of software available to teachers, administrators and support staff software offers flexibility and room for experimentation for the TESOL profession

expand your software tools in the areas of communication, administration, development and educational delivery

save budget funds in upgrades, new acquisitions,

wide variety of software available to teachers, administrators and support staff

software offers flexibility and room for experimentation for the TESOL profession

resources referenced TESL Contact Fall 2008 http://www.teslontario.org/uploads/publications/contact/ContactFall2008.pdf Microsoft Online Store http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/suites/default.aspx MIT OpenCourseWare http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/home/home/index.htm Wikipedia Open source examples: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_open_source_software_packages MySQL http://www.mysql.com/

TESL Contact Fall 2008 http://www.teslontario.org/uploads/publications/contact/ContactFall2008.pdf

Microsoft Online Store http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/suites/default.aspx

MIT OpenCourseWare http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/home/home/index.htm

Wikipedia Open source examples: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_open_source_software_packages

MySQL http://www.mysql.com/

resources referenced OpenSource http://www.opensource.org/docs/definition.php GNU Licencing http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html

OpenSource http://www.opensource.org/docs/definition.php

GNU Licencing http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html

Finished? Check the time

Check the time

open source & TESL CALL programs? none dedicated to TESL may change

CALL programs?

none dedicated to TESL

may change

Open Source & TESOL John Higgins, self-taught programmer Jackass Verbalist Switch Doubleup FindWord Sequitir Dropin Eclipse MarkUp Sortset

John Higgins, self-taught programmer

Jackass

Verbalist

Switch

Doubleup

FindWord

Sequitir

Dropin

Eclipse

MarkUp

Sortset

Open Source & TESOL altruistic creations programs authored in basements BASIC porgramming

altruistic creations

programs authored in basements

BASIC porgramming

Open Source & TESOL parallel situation exists people sharing and building upon each others’ code the Internet intensifies the potential of this phenomenon the promise is unlimited produced by part-time developers hundreds of freely available programs Cutting Edge CALL Demos

parallel situation exists

people sharing and building upon each others’ code

the Internet intensifies the potential of this phenomenon

the promise is unlimited

produced by part-time developers

hundreds of freely available programs

Cutting Edge CALL Demos

Open Source & TESOL Today - Advantages administrative inventive

administrative

inventive