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>So, does this bill mean that products like MS Office can’t be used in schools because it would force students to use proprietary software? Is it just targeting

>So, does this bill mean that products like MS Office can’t be used in schools because it would force students to use proprietary software? Is it just targeting websites that use extensions that are only usable in a certain browser? Wouldn't that be sensible though? If the software is gratis and FOSS, then all the children can use it in whatever context they want. This is not true for MacOS or Windows. People may not own MacOS devices or have the money for the licenses.

deleted 4y ago
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__MatrixMan__ 4y ago
It would be quite sensible. If a private company tricked your school into training you on their stack... that's not an education, it's an ad (and corruption to boot). If you job wants to use MATLAB, they can train you on MATLAB. Your python/octave/whatever skills will transfer.
- imoverclocked 4y ago
  I agree in spirit but not in practice. I used to think everybody using Matlab thinks like a programmer. The problem is that many people who use Matlab are something else first. Matlab is just the tool available to them that has a very specific set of functionality and a GUI to make it somewhat accessible. Octave is a great piece of software but I stopped championing for others after knowing enough scientists that just want to use a library for a minute that only works in Matlab because of some quirk or special function that doesn't exist in Octave. Another reason this doesn't quite work in practice is the interview. Imagine, potential employer asks if you have ever used Matlab. Two potential responses here: 1) No, I've used octave though. 2) Yes. Both are good answers but, convince me the typical employer wants to hear 1 over 2.
  - defrost 4y ago
    > many people who use Matlab are something else first. Pretty much, they're lab techs, engineers, physicists, etc. who gather and work with data as a primary role more so than programmers. > convince me the typical employer wants to hear 1 over 2. I can't, typically they're indifferent and they'll even take someone who has worked mainly with R. In my own experience a typical employer who asks about Matlab is seeking numerically competant employees to work with data, to create and look at plots and graphs, to run simulations, etc. They're typically more concerned with a prospects potential to do the role than they are with the specific tools used in the past, and will generally ask if prospects think they can work with in house tools or about the cost of bring tools the prospect wants to use in house.
  - __MatrixMan__ 4y ago
    I'm not sure I care what the typical employer wants to hear. If it's a taxpayer funded education then it's more about what society gets out of it. I can't speak for everybody, but I think what society wants is people who can solve problems whether or not they've been blessed by some third party with a license.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

__MatrixMan__ 4y ago

It would be quite sensible. If a private company tricked your school into training you on their stack... that's not an education, it's an ad (and corruption to boot). If you job wants to use MATLAB, they can train you on MATLAB. Your python/octave/whatever skills will transfer.

imoverclocked 4y ago
I agree in spirit but not in practice. I used to think everybody using Matlab thinks like a programmer. The problem is that many people who use Matlab are something else first. Matlab is just the tool available to them that has a very specific set of functionality and a GUI to make it somewhat accessible. Octave is a great piece of software but I stopped championing for others after knowing enough scientists that just want to use a library for a minute that only works in Matlab because of some quirk or special function that doesn't exist in Octave. Another reason this doesn't quite work in practice is the interview. Imagine, potential employer asks if you have ever used Matlab. Two potential responses here: 1) No, I've used octave though. 2) Yes. Both are good answers but, convince me the typical employer wants to hear 1 over 2.
- defrost 4y ago
  > many people who use Matlab are something else first. Pretty much, they're lab techs, engineers, physicists, etc. who gather and work with data as a primary role more so than programmers. > convince me the typical employer wants to hear 1 over 2. I can't, typically they're indifferent and they'll even take someone who has worked mainly with R. In my own experience a typical employer who asks about Matlab is seeking numerically competant employees to work with data, to create and look at plots and graphs, to run simulations, etc. They're typically more concerned with a prospects potential to do the role than they are with the specific tools used in the past, and will generally ask if prospects think they can work with in house tools or about the cost of bring tools the prospect wants to use in house.
- __MatrixMan__ 4y ago
  I'm not sure I care what the typical employer wants to hear. If it's a taxpayer funded education then it's more about what society gets out of it. I can't speak for everybody, but I think what society wants is people who can solve problems whether or not they've been blessed by some third party with a license.