| Nonprofit brings Linux and open source to Hawaii |
Sep. 09, 2004
Schools in Hawaii, affected by lean budgets like many other US states this year, are upgrading their computer systems with help from the open source community and Linux. A local nonprofit, the Oahu-based Hawaii Open Source Education Foundation (HOSEF), has supplied over a dozen Hawaiian schools with computers "recycled" with the Linux operating system and raised awareness of open source software (OSS).
Founded by Scott Belford over two years ago, HOSEF's stated mission is to promote the use of open source software. The organization seeks donations of unused PCs and refurbishes them with Linux. HOSEF then places the units in schools and other nonprofits organizations throughout Hawaii.
What prompted Savannah, GA native Belford to lead the Hawaiian charge toward open source? A pile of discarded computers, he explains. "I grew tired of hearing about how our schools had no money and were falling behind in the race to computer literacy. I was determined to make a difference," Belford says.
Relocated to Hawaii when his wife was assigned to Hawaii as an Army nurse, Belford saw a way to use open source and Linux to help literacy, and bolster failing budgets in the local schools. Introduced to Linux in 1992 when a friend let him use his computer for surfing the net. Belford started using M (mosaic), and later fell in love with a program he was trying out called N (netscape), he explains.
"We have an obligation to reciprocate that which we receive, if possible. OSS (open source software) has been very good to me. I have used it to help employers save money. I have used [Openoffice.org] for my college degrees, and I use it daily on my computers. If I can take my entrepreneurial, economic, and business interests and channel my passion for OSS through them, then I should," Belford enthuses.
His goal is to "bridge the divide between the technically literate and business decision makers," Belford says. "I have been working very hard for a long time now to do this. People need to learn about OSS without being intimidated by elitist geeks. I used to despise those who knew so much about Linux that they had forgotten how hard it was to learn something new."
Correcting myths about the lack of Linux support, too, are part of Belford's agenda. "I wanted to dispel the argument that there was no one to support it or that it is too hard," he adds.
HOSEF appears to be making an impact on education in Hawaii. Next month, Hawaii's Department of Education will begin teaching Linux, Belford says.
A self-sustaining ecosystem
One common thread among recipients of HOSEF-built Linux systems is their commitment to maintain the systems and participate in the open source ecosystem. As part of his criteria in the selection of a site to receive a Linux PC, Belford works to ensure that a program is in place to maintain the software and provide training to end users. This is one key to the success of Belford's organization.
They not only offer a cost effective means to get students in Hawaii online with very modest resources, but also develop a sustaining ecosystem and culture that is receptive to the open source model. By eschewing the so-called "rip and replace" methodology that some Linux projects have implemented, and sometimes struggled with, HOSEF's focus on education and self-reliance encourages users to use Linux and open source only when and where it makes sense. HOSEF and Belford are creating a self-sustaining and reproducible model for other states that are migrating to open source and maximize their hardware investments.
HOSEF has launched Linux labs in public schools throughout the island of Oahu including McKinley Community School for Adults, James Campbell High School, Kuhio Elementary, Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii, and the Makiki Community Library. By year end, Belford estimates, they will surpass 400 computers installed, supported, and running OSS solutions like k12ltsp and skolelinux distros. Hardware donations have largely come to the has come from Hickam Air Force Base, but the group has received many systems from individuals and area companies.
"As we have tried to educate our community on the economic benefits of OSS, we have found partners in Novell who have helped to legitimize the adoption of OSS. When we decided to host an OSS seminar in September, Novell was gracious enough to help with reservations, catering, publicizing, and, most honorably, supporting our presentation of several OSS products including Xandros, Fedora, and Debian. That is the beauty of this economy -- a vendor benefits from promoting their OS platform and support rather than by solely promoting their exclusive proprietary solution," notes Belford.
The group is educating Hawaii on the benefits of open source and will team with Novell in a local seminar to be held in Honolulu on September 27, 2004. The event, sponsored by Novell, will feature a talk on the beneficial economic effects of open source from top open source strategist and expert Bruce Perens.
In his paper entitled The Economics of Open Source Software, Perens explains open source in terms of capitalism, examining how the flow of money within a business changes when software expenditures are directed to Open Source rather than proprietary software. The one day event will be held at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu.
(Click here for further information)
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