[ale] VM ? (addendum: without windows licenses?)

[Michael B. Trausch]

On Wed, 2007-02-28 at 23:45 -0500, Steve Brown wrote:
> That's wack. My school has the same requirements for their online
> stuff (WebCT); it works under Linux but I needed to install the JRE
> *shudder*. The teachers on there will actually recommend OpenOffice to
> you if you can't get M$ Office. You should check to see if your school
> is part of the MSDNAA, that way you can get free copies of all MS'
> stuff (except Office, of course). Also, if you are forced to use IE,
> then I would recommend trying out Avant Browser. It's based off of IE
> (or it was when I was using it), so it's still kind of like you're on
> the dark side. 
> 
> As for RMS, he makes very good points, and I agree with most of the
> things he says. Free as in freedom is how I like my software; but I
> definately don't think that simply using proprietary software is
> "ethically wrong".  It's not preferable, but I don't see it as a moral
> issue. Some of us have to live in the real world, and sometimes the
> other choice is nothing (or in our case, not getting an education). 


I have the JRE installed anyway, even though Ubuntu doesn't have the GPL
version yet, I don't think.

In any case, I think that I am going to finish up the latter portion of
my B.S. at GA Tech or somewhere else where I can hand in printed papers
and work on paper.  At least that way, my choice of software is my own.

I get that the world runs on Windows and Microsoft's other products as
far as people are concerned about interactions.  OpenOffice.org is
getting really good about being able to interact with Microsoft's
software, though it seems that the math/formula stuff in it isn't.
That's a royal pain.

Microsoft, being about as cooperative as an old wild dog, isn't very
helpful, either.

And I just took a look at that MSDNAA thing.  It would seem to me that
they are so desperate to attempt to ensure that their systems are used
that they're taking measures far beyond what Unix had to.  Sure, Unix
was given to educational institutions for next to free, if not free, but
today, Unix-like systems are available without any cost.  Every rational
argument points to using something that gives more back than a simple
conditional restrictive set of permitted uses.  *shrugs*  Nonetheless,
it seems that my school does participate in the MSDNAA program, though
it seems that I am not in their database.  I suppose I'll have to do a
little bit more digging around to see what I can do with this, if
anything.

As far as software freedom/etc. goes, I don't think that choosing to use
proprietary software is a morally bad thing to do.  I do think, though,
that forcing others to use it is morally wrong.  After all, the ultimate
freedom is choice, is it not?

    -- Mike

--
Michael B. Trausch
                    fd0man at gmail.com
Phone: (404) 592-5746
                          Jabber IM:
                    fd0man at gmail.com
              fd0man at livejournal.com
Demand Freedom!  Use open and free protocols, standards, and software!
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 189 bytes
Desc: This is a digitally signed message part