[Linux-aus] Microsoft Offer to Australian University Students

[Kim Hawtin]

Brenda Aynsley wrote:
> 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 

Is that so?

> 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.

Its very easy to abuse the relationship in an organisation like a University,
especially offering cut rates for products to get blanket coverage.

> 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.

This sounds like a good idea.

regards,

Kim
-- 
Operating Systems, Services and Operations
Information Technology Services, The University of Adelaide
kim.hawtin at adelaide.edu.au