Does Free Software Restore Dignity?

The other day a high-school student came by the overt library computer revolve about where I work in Takoma Park, Maryland. I acknowledged him right away as a student WHO on a regular basis visits the computer center to coif his homework. Happening this visit he looked sad. "Do you have a restore DVD for this Sony Vaio laptop computer?" he asked, with his comparatively inexperient Windows 7 laptop computer underneath his arm.

"Sorry, no," I replied.

His laptop needed to be restored, and he had misplaced the touch on DVD. Helium tells me Sony requires $139 to send him a restore Videodisk. Atomic number 2 doesn't take a spare $139, and neither do his hard-working parents. I didn't deprivation this student to leave empty-handed, so I said, "If you like, I'll install Linux on your laptop, and you can get it working again that way."

"That's reasonable tight with me," he replied quickly.

About 20 minutes later we had Linux Slew installed on his laptop computer, and he was surfriding the Network wirelessly using Firefox. Although He long-faced a backbreaking tear from Sony, atomic number 2 found a helping reach at his local semipublic library. But I enquire: Do other public libraries help community members install Linux happening computers? Do other public libraries hand knocked out Linux CDs and/or CDs with OpenOffice? Mayhap a few public libraries do. For the most partially, though, profession members in other towns receive few options when Sony requires a fee of $139 for a restore DVD.

Hmmmm. I wonder if that $139 includes the transport and handling fee? If I were Sony, I'd charge $39 for merchant vessels and handling. Might as fountainhead gouge people when they are at their most vulnerable, right? Mightiness arsenic well humiliate that squeaking-cultivate scholar in front of his parents. Serves him decently for misplacing his restore DVD.

Meanwhile, last week another community member handed ME a Pentium III laptop computer and asked me to give it to individual who can use it. With Linux installed, that laptop could see a couple more years of use past some middle-school or full-school scholarly person. In a family where sharing one operating theater two desktops is a source of tension, this older laptop could reduce that tension. Information technology's sure worth my meter to install Linux on this laptop. I'll install Linux Mint LXDE, which runs attractively in 256MB of memory. And I'll add TuxTyping, because the recipient role of this laptop whitethorn want to teach themselves how to type.

If you're not sure whether your local common library distributes Linux CDs, name them astir to ask. Concurrently, enquire the library whether it offers any training in OpenOffice (now called LibreOffice), GIMP, Scribus, or Inkscape–all free and excellent software programs. If the library hasn't nevertheless thought about that, this might embody the just time for them to consider doing so.

Alternatively, we can all go on to pony up $139 to Sony for bushel DVDs. Greed has no bounds, until it is delimited. The only if multitude World Health Organization bum bound it is U.S.. We are the solution. You are the solution, if you sol choose.

When dignity is denied, free software restores dignity.

Phil Shapiro

The author of this article is an educator and biotic community builder in the Washington DC-area. He has worked for several public depository library and public school systems in the DC-area. He terminate cost reached at philshapiroblogger@gmail.com and happening Twitter at http://WWW.chirrup.com/philshapiro

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