[Linux-aus] Microsoft Offer to Australian University Students

[Brenda Aynsley]

James Collier wrote:

> 
> Other than the dirty looking man in the website, and the suspicious
> method of payment, it annoys me that Microsoft is once again using it's
> marketing power to lure people who might otherwise use FOSS office
> suites to a cheap version of the "standard" office suite.
> 
> Being very new, I wondered whether, we as individuals or Linux Australia
> as a whole could do anything to perhaps better inform students.
> 


James this is a standard offer.  Adelaide Uni students have been offered 
MS Office whatever for the past 2 or 3 years and I am sure most of the 
38 Australian universities students have the same deal.

In the scheme of things i dont think it makes much difference to be 
honest and yes you're right it is a reflection of the marketing power of 
the organisation.  It would be nice to think that one day, Monash might 
at the same time send out another email as a follow up which points out 
the existence of the FOSS offerings and/or encourages even those 
commercial versions of otherwise FOSS offerings viz StarOffice and Lotus 
Notes/IBM's version of OpenOffice.

But it'll be a while before that happens I suspect.

I would think that the Student Council reps on the University Council 
ought to be made aware of your reaction and others, if you can find 
them, and suggest to them that they might like to bring it up in a 
University Council meeting.

cheers
brenda

cheers
brenda



-- 
Brenda Aynsley, FACS, PCP
Director Oz Business Partners http://www.ozbusinesspartners.com/
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