Discrimination based on OS?

[Graham Todd]

On Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:17:15 -0400
Fred Roller <froller at tnclimited.com> uttered these words:

> Since the IT department is not going to disclose a lot of information
> on their security/equipment, I have no way of knowing if Linux is an 
> option.  But assuming Linux is an option which the University choses 
> /not/ to support are they unfairly restricting access?
[snipped]

I do not know what the law requires in the US, but I thought you'd like
a British perspective on this issue.

I am a student at the University of Kent in historic Canterbury, Kent.
Students in on-site accommodation can receive wired connectivity if
they live in a block with this access (its not universal).  However,
throughout campus there is very good wi-fi connectivity and gathering
points in refectories and throughout the library are wi-fi hotspots.

They university blocks voip phone connectivity, however, but other than
that there seems to be no bar to any OS connecting, and as I use only
*Buntu laptops, I can get connection with at least one variant, so I
can say there is no bar to Linux computers.

However, nothing but Windows and Mac software is supported and there is
is no advice available from the IT Department about running Linux or
*nix machines.  This is all rather peculiar as the University of Kent
hosts one of the largest repositories of Linux software in the UK
through uk.mirrorservice.org, and the main IT room had a sign on
its door proclaiming "Linux inside"!

Things become more insidious when considering the requirements of the
University.  Essays and dissertations must be produced printed as
well as submitted electronically in .doc or .docx format and in
Microsoft fonts. The thinking behind this is that software is used to
prevent plagiarism, and it works only with .doc and .docx formats.

In these formats there is a distinct chance of them being superseded
and electronic copies of dissertations not being accessible by future
generations of scholars and academics: there is no programme to bring,
say, Open Document format along side the others as a standard, and I
suspect this is true of most British universities.

It is not against the law and is not discrimination, and although the
EEC are encouraging the use of these initiatives in education, it is up
to the University in question.

-- 
Graham Todd
[Please excuse any omissions or inclusions which this disabled writer
may have made incorrectly]

Use free software - free as in unfettered, with liberty to share and
use as you wish, as defined in:
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html