Campaigns:VTU-MS Curriculum tie up

From FSUG-Bangalore

[edit] What are we asking

* DON'T GIVE FREE TOBACO TO HOOK US TO MICRO$OFT SMOKING
* NO FREE COKE WHEN THERE IS TENDER COCONUT
* M$ is not good for academic health
* it's not M$ dreamspark - it's dreamsdark
* Please open your eyes to alternatives - which is more academically meaningful
* VTU ask M$ to GPLv3 all these softwares before giving it to students
* BILL GATE$ DONT KILL OUR LEARNING
* It's not the software that's free; it's you.

pic from : http://boycottnovell.com/2008/11/06/bribing-addicting-dumping/

[edit] Meeting

In reference to the article published in The Hindu (http://www.hindu.com/2008/11/19/stories/2008111956231000.htm) a GNU(s) Grazing is called for to discuss the issue.

Date: Saturday 22nd November, 2008

Time: 16:00hrs

Venue: NGV grounds, Koramangala.

Agenda:

* VTU, Microsoft tie-up to develop curriculum
* Our response to the tie-up
* Plans to create awareness on alternatives?
* Alternate to such a tie-up

[edit] Points to Ponder

1) The continuing attempt of big institutions selling of our intellectual independence needs to be condemened.

2) We can get position papers from CIS , ALF , Redhat Venky on this

3) The question of why with so much wealth of technical knowledge we need to close our selves needs to be also questioned

4) Research on 'Dream Spark Programme' and its probelms needs to be outlined . The kind of support needed needs to be found..and the kind of lock in imposed - learnt..

5) Microsoft will offer many products such as Visual Studio 2008, Professional Edition, Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition, Visual Basic 2008 Express Edition, Visual Web Developer 2008 Express Edition and also platform resources such as SQL Server 2008 Developer Edition, SQL Server Express Windows Server and Standard Edition (both 2003 and 2008) for every technically-inclined student.

6) the cost dynamics of this needs to be worked out ... and the technical and economical alternatives with gnu/linux - needs to be brought out clearly - and how this - is giving free tobacco - to hook us permananetly needs to be exposed

[edit] Last VTU FLOSS Campaign

http://bangalore.gnu.org.in/index.php/Campaigns:VTU-FLOSSCampaign

[edit] Letter to VTU VC

SayNOToVendorLockInInEducation

[edit] Creative ideas for campaign

Please add here

[edit] Pointers to Existing FOSS Syllabuses

[edit] NRCFOSS's FOSS Elective in Tamil Nadu

1. http://nrcfosshelpline.in/code/wiki/FossElectivesSyllabus
2. http://nrcfosshelpline.in/code/wiki/FossElectiveoneBook
3. http://nrcfosshelpline.in/code/wiki/FossElectiveTwoBook
4. http://nrcfosshelpline.in/code/wiki/FosselectiveTwo
5. http://nrcfosshelpline.in/code/wiki/FossLabExperiments

[edit] Calicut University IT Syllabus

http://fci.wikia.com/wiki/Calicut_University_Syllabus_IT

[edit] Microsoft Dreamspark Replacement

A Replacement software list to Dreamspark Programme

[edit] Campaign Plan

please follow this thread:

http://mm.gnu.org.in/pipermail/fsug-bangalore/2008-November/002296.html

[edit] Posters

Posters

[edit] Comments

http://louiswu.livejournal.com/84627.html?thread=536467#t536467

One small step for student-kind Today, the VTU (the university that granted me my bachelor's degree) did something incredibly smart. In one fell swoop, they have achieved what Kerala and Andhra Pradesh have been trying to do for years, in vain.

That's right — the VTU has done the one thing that will ensure that no student of theirs will ever learn a Microsoft-related technology — a ton of Microsoft software is now part of the official curriculum.

Thank you, VTU!

Aside ...

Reminds me of the "Basic Computer Skills" Lab in 3rd semester, where we had to create a document in Word and a presentation in PowerPoint. The external examiner expected you to remember exactly under which menu each random feature lay. It took her about 10 minutes to figure out that I was searching through the menus blindly after every question. :)

Not to mention 5th semester, where our DBMS lecturer tried to strong-arm me into learning Visual Basic for a project on databases. This one I managed to hold out on, and did my work in PHP+MySQL.

Pramod sir writes:

http://pramode.net/2008/11/19/vtu-ties-up-with-microsoft-to-develop-curriculum/