Theme Photos Now on Ubuntu Front Page

[fluberman]

Hi,

Thanks for your response. I agree with you in some degree, but the
context here is about the use of ubuntu in educational institutions. I
personally believe that ubuntu is a good distro as an alternative
solution for replacing ms-windows. That's why I promoted it to my
colleagues. You said that there are cultural differences here. Fine, we
knew it already, but to use ubuntu with that default theme as a standard
OS in our schools/universities is still inappropriate. I don't want to
enter into political or religous discussion here, but I just want to
give an analogy.  Endorsing ubuntu with that semi-naked people as
default theme to our schools/universities, is similar to endorsing
muslim headscarf to French schools. French government says that
headscarf is a religous symbol, on the other hand I'm sure that our
officials would say the default ubuntu theme is nudity and pornography,
which should be banned from schools/universities. 

I personally like ubuntu and use it. I just feel sorry if such a good
distro may not be used in schools/universities because of this issue.
With 200 millions of population, I would consider Indonesia as a
potential "market" for ubuntu.


On Fri, 2004-10-15 at 10:41 +0200, Christian Casimir wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> 
> I think, on the contrary, that it could be a great opportunity to show 
> and try to explain that cultures are different all around the world. Not 
> that one is right to do or believe such or such thing, and another 
> wrong, just that there ARE different, but that it ISN'T a problem in 
> itself. If Ubuntu's goal is to promote peace and humanity, I believe it 
> all start by ACCEPTING that these differences just exist. Then, if 
> people are shocked, or disagree or whatever with what is suggested, fair 
> enough, it's their right, and they can just customize the system 
> according to their wishes. What about arguing that red can't be used 
> because it could symbolizes communist values ? Black, fascist values ? 
> and that it could be sensed as inacceptable by some ?!
> Peace is not about the absence of war only : it is also about educating 
> people to respect one another and others' cultures as they must respect 
> themselves and their own culture. It is about celebrating differences !
> 
> And although I can understand that neutrality is the easiest way out of 
> this problem, I believe it is not the most educative and it won't 
> contribute to the opening of the minds. Accepting other ways of thinking 
> and viewing the world is easy as long as you are not confronted to them. 
> It doesn't mean that you are ready to accept these differences when they 
> stand at your door... and I believe that Ubuntu has a pedagogical role 
> to play (I read "the philosophy of Ubuntu" somewhere !...) : showing 
> that differences are not a danger to your own (cultural) identity. You 
> can (must) be proud to be whatever you are, but you can also be happy 
> that other guys are what they are - although very different - on the 
> side of the globe.
> 
> Just my two cents... well, "centimes of Euro" - being French ! ;-)
> 
> 
> Christian C.
> 
> 
> 


-- 

flubie
Registered linux user: #319538
Using UBUNTU Linux
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