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[Mike Rambo]

Paul Melson wrote:
> 
> 
>         That seems like a real shame, especially since
>         you don't need anything special to run it.  Ours
>         is still running on an AMD K6/166 w/ 32MB of RAM,
>         and I would be amazed if the load has ever broken
>         0.10 even w/ the JavaScript chat rooms in use.
>         You could easily throw it on a somewhat sup-ed up
>         486 system, giving you newsgroups, FTP, chat, web
>         space, and e-mail for nothing but the time spent
>         on it.
> 
>         On the other hand Linux is very intimidating to
>         those who don't use it because they see long-term
>         support as tenuous, whereas you can't swing a
>         dead penguin without smacking an MCSE or two.
> 
> PaulM
> 
> --
>                                                         _____________________
>                                                         melson@holt.k12.mi.us
> 

You've hit the nail on the head.  The dept head is relying heavily on a
guy (who knows only NT) for departmental direction.  Last I knew he
hasn't and isn't planning on actually finishing his degree at MSU but he
does have the MCSE and Citrix certs (yes Sean - you know him :-).  He
whined to me when he first came on that the reason he left the Dept of
Treasury was that they didn't give him the tools he wanted to work
with.  You combine a guy only willing to work with M$ products with her
other staff who have no formal computer training (it's all on the job)
and you have a great deal of resistance - partly from an understandable
fear - and the rest from bias.  They tend to think of supporting the
servers from the work we have to do with the NT boxes - and they can
take quite of bit or work at times.  We've had to reboot most of them
every few weeks and periodically have other pains.  They should know
that servers need not be that way as the novell 3.12 servers are MUCH
more stable in our experience - but then they may associate that
stability with a command line that is hard to work with.  In any case,
it IS a shame.  We had gotten permission to install a full Linux server
as a pilot at Forest View Elementary last spring.  It is done and
installed but I don't know if it'll last.  It's working great but
whenever there is a problem of any nature - and we've had numerous with
the wfw3.11 workstations (long student assisted upgrade story) - her
first thought is to put NT on the server - go figure.  There's so many
things we could do very cost effectively but we can't.  They're now
looking at an exchange server - oh brother.  Half of the buildings are
mac's.  A lot of good that'll do.  It's very frustrating.


-- 
Mike Rambo
Media & Electronics Specialist
Lansing School District
mrambo@lsd.k12.mi.us