Comments on: The difference between ‘free’ and free in education http://davecormier.com/edblog/2007/12/30/the-difference-between-free-and-free-in-education/ Education, post-structuralism and the rise of the machines Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:19:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Unwilling beta testers « Kassblog http://davecormier.com/edblog/2007/12/30/the-difference-between-free-and-free-in-education/comment-page-1/#comment-213591 Unwilling beta testers « Kassblog Wed, 24 Feb 2010 06:17:40 +0000 http://davecormier.com/edblog/2007/12/30/the-difference-between-free-and-free-in-education/#comment-213591 [...] Dave Cormier on “free beer” as applied to the use of open source software in education, I was struck [...] [...] Dave Cormier on “free beer” as applied to the use of open source software in education, I was struck [...]

]]> By: Joel Scoble http://davecormier.com/edblog/2007/12/30/the-difference-between-free-and-free-in-education/comment-page-1/#comment-108654 Joel Scoble Fri, 21 Mar 2008 18:54:50 +0000 http://davecormier.com/edblog/2007/12/30/the-difference-between-free-and-free-in-education/#comment-108654 Excellent post Dave. Richard Stallman elucidated similar thoughts and someone even wrote a book titled 'Free as in speech and beer.' It should be noted that, in Open Source, the 'free as in beer' and 'free as in speech' intersect, JBoss, SugarCRM, MySQL are some of the more prominent examples. Some other projects figure out how to monitize their work, like Mozilla foundation which received $52.9M in 2005 and $66.8M in 2006, mostly from the Google search bar. Their expenses were $19.77M in 2006. <a href='http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=6715' rel="nofollow">[blogs.zdnet.com]</a> Compare that to Microsofts Net Profit Margin of 29.3% and Pre-Tax Margin of 42% last year, which was better than their 5yr average. Oh and my favorite browser, the closed source Opera browser, generates a significant portion of their revenue the same way Mozilla does, with the search bar. And you also now know why so many 'free' software want to install a toolbar in your browser. I've been meaning to write about Open Source and some of the misperceptions about it and your post just might be the motivation, once I find a few spare minutes. I suspect that 'free as in beer' also originated from the old software company practice of getting a keg on Friday's for everyone to drink as a reward. Oh and La Fin du Monde is one of my favorite beers. When I first saw the name I knew I had to try it. A few beers later I renamed it 'La fin du moi' Excellent post Dave. Richard Stallman elucidated similar thoughts and someone even wrote a book titled ‘Free as in speech and beer.’

It should be noted that, in Open Source, the ‘free as in beer’ and ‘free as in speech’ intersect, JBoss, SugarCRM, MySQL are some of the more prominent examples.

Some other projects figure out how to monitize their work, like Mozilla foundation which received $52.9M in 2005 and $66.8M in 2006, mostly from the Google search bar. Their expenses were $19.77M in 2006. [blogs.zdnet.com]

Compare that to Microsofts Net Profit Margin of 29.3% and Pre-Tax Margin of 42% last year, which was better than their 5yr average.

Oh and my favorite browser, the closed source Opera browser, generates a significant portion of their revenue the same way Mozilla does, with the search bar.

And you also now know why so many ‘free’ software want to install a toolbar in your browser.

I’ve been meaning to write about Open Source and some of the misperceptions about it and your post just might be the motivation, once I find a few spare minutes.

I suspect that ‘free as in beer’ also originated from the old software company practice of getting a keg on Friday’s for everyone to drink as a reward.

Oh and La Fin du Monde is one of my favorite beers. When I first saw the name I knew I had to try it. A few beers later I renamed it ‘La fin du moi’

]]> By: Richard http://davecormier.com/edblog/2007/12/30/the-difference-between-free-and-free-in-education/comment-page-1/#comment-97073 Richard Tue, 29 Jan 2008 05:19:48 +0000 http://davecormier.com/edblog/2007/12/30/the-difference-between-free-and-free-in-education/#comment-97073 Hello, Dave. Alex Ragone directed me to your excellent blog. I was struck by your comment about considerations one must make before adopting Wordpress or Drupal. We are testing Drupal as a new school front-end web site platform. What are the top issues you would recommend we consider? For example, should I be worried if I want the site to have email notification, and the maintainers of the Subscriptions module say that they're aware that the current production version is really buggy, and they are working to release a new version (release date TBD)? Thanks much. Richard Hello, Dave. Alex Ragone directed me to your excellent blog. I was struck by your comment about considerations one must make before adopting WordPress or Drupal. We are testing Drupal as a new school front-end web site platform. What are the top issues you would recommend we consider? For example, should I be worried if I want the site to have email notification, and the maintainers of the Subscriptions module say that they’re aware that the current production version is really buggy, and they are working to release a new version (release date TBD)? Thanks much.

Richard

]]> By: John Larkin http://davecormier.com/edblog/2007/12/30/the-difference-between-free-and-free-in-education/comment-page-1/#comment-90713 John Larkin Tue, 01 Jan 2008 23:26:29 +0000 http://davecormier.com/edblog/2007/12/30/the-difference-between-free-and-free-in-education/#comment-90713 Your post is a timely one Dave. I have been exploring WebNode. http://www.webnode.com/en/ This is an excellent tool that allows you to create full featured web sites with RSS feeds, free hosting, domain name redirection and embeds galore. Their home page states in bold black print that there is no catch. I read the terms and conditions and under Intellectual Property it is stated that 'You acknowledge that by posting materials on the webnode site You grant to Us and Our licensors and assigns an irrevocable, perpetual, royalty free, worldwide licence to use the materials both within the webnode site and in any other manner.' I feel that agreement is indeed a 'catch'. It is a great tool. Not open source. The dilemma I face is whether or not to go ahead and run with this tool. Cheers, John Your post is a timely one Dave. I have been exploring WebNode. http://www.webnode.com/en/ This is an excellent tool that allows you to create full featured web sites with RSS feeds, free hosting, domain name redirection and embeds galore.

Their home page states in bold black print that there is no catch. I read the terms and conditions and under Intellectual Property it is stated that ‘You acknowledge that by posting materials on the webnode site You grant to Us and Our licensors and assigns an irrevocable, perpetual, royalty free, worldwide licence to use the materials both within the webnode site and in any other manner.’

I feel that agreement is indeed a ‘catch’. It is a great tool. Not open source. The dilemma I face is whether or not to go ahead and run with this tool.

Cheers, John

]]> By: John Schinker http://davecormier.com/edblog/2007/12/30/the-difference-between-free-and-free-in-education/comment-page-1/#comment-90704 John Schinker Tue, 01 Jan 2008 21:25:22 +0000 http://davecormier.com/edblog/2007/12/30/the-difference-between-free-and-free-in-education/#comment-90704 As you point out, it's a tradeoff. Many (most?) of the people in a position to make a real difference with some of these tools (aka teachers) aren't in a position to set up and maintain their own servers. They're also probably not going to be able to get someone else to set it up for them, if they're working in a school district with an understaffed and overworked tech department. So free beer may be their only option. I think your point about caution is a good one. We frequently get very excited about the things an online tool can do, without spending as much time on the restrictions, conditions, and other drawbacks. At the very least, we need to encourage people to be aware of what can happen. Several years ago, I encouraged a school full of teachers to use a free online gradebook (I know, looking back, it was a BAD idea). But it gave them an easy way to keep track of their grades, and had a lot of cool features for keeping students and their parents informed of their current status. We spent much of the fall promoting it, only to find that the next spring it became a pay-service. You can keep using it, for a small monthly fee. Of course the school couldn't afford this, and we quickly abandoned it, much to the annoyance of the staff and parents. With similar uncertaintly coming from Eduspaces, I'm glad that I've taken the free speech approach now. But it does mean I'm slower to embrace and deploy new technologies. Thanks for bringing up the conversation. As you point out, it’s a tradeoff. Many (most?) of the people in a position to make a real difference with some of these tools (aka teachers) aren’t in a position to set up and maintain their own servers. They’re also probably not going to be able to get someone else to set it up for them, if they’re working in a school district with an understaffed and overworked tech department. So free beer may be their only option.

I think your point about caution is a good one. We frequently get very excited about the things an online tool can do, without spending as much time on the restrictions, conditions, and other drawbacks. At the very least, we need to encourage people to be aware of what can happen.

Several years ago, I encouraged a school full of teachers to use a free online gradebook (I know, looking back, it was a BAD idea). But it gave them an easy way to keep track of their grades, and had a lot of cool features for keeping students and their parents informed of their current status. We spent much of the fall promoting it, only to find that the next spring it became a pay-service. You can keep using it, for a small monthly fee. Of course the school couldn’t afford this, and we quickly abandoned it, much to the annoyance of the staff and parents.

With similar uncertaintly coming from Eduspaces, I’m glad that I’ve taken the free speech approach now. But it does mean I’m slower to embrace and deploy new technologies.

Thanks for bringing up the conversation.

]]> By: Harold Jarche http://davecormier.com/edblog/2007/12/30/the-difference-between-free-and-free-in-education/comment-page-1/#comment-90445 Harold Jarche Mon, 31 Dec 2007 19:17:54 +0000 http://davecormier.com/edblog/2007/12/30/the-difference-between-free-and-free-in-education/#comment-90445 I really like free beer (except for that mass market crap that's called beer) but free speech is much more important. Good post, Dave. I really like free beer (except for that mass market crap that’s called beer) but free speech is much more important. Good post, Dave.

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