Testing 1, 2, 3...

I took the "Computer Literacy" exam today, and it was a fsckn joke. Do a formatted document in Word, build a simple budgeting spreadsheet in Excel, and send an email using a webmail system of your choice.

The conclusion is inescapable. None of these tasks were so complicated they couldn't have been done in OpenOffice.Org and FireFox. I mean, I'm fairly sure I passed the stupid little test. But what I'm saying is that if this is what Woodbury University thinks that their students will be doing with technology, then they can just as easily run Linux with OpenOffice.Org and FireFox and be perfectly equipped to do all their work that way. Yes, SPSS is also in the picture, but SPSS for Linux is coming.

I will be trying to persuade the school to allow Linux as a "supported" operating system for Woodbury students. When and if that happens, I will also start working with the Woodbury Connections center to set up a program where we'll try to get local companies to donate their aging but usable laptops so needy Title V students get free laptops with a preload of Linux. I think this could be a very interesting project. I hope that I'll get a chance to do this.