March 2004

Full March 2004 issue in PDF format

Working With Open Source
Open source software is a hot topic today and the subject of strong opinions for and against. In some ways, open source looks like a return to one of the original and defining practices of the software profession: the contributed code library. The premise behind those collections was that there were obvious efficiencies in picking up and re-working code someone had already written, as opposed to writing new code. After all, how different did payroll programs really need to be? The practice began to fade (but not disappear entirely) under a couple of influences: everyone’s own applications did finally become very idiosyncratic, and payroll programs got to be different enough so that adopting and adapting someone else’s was no longer so efficient. And then, of course, software came to be viewed, held, and sold as a product in itself. At that point, sharing was akin to giving away assets, or so it seemed. Today, open source software reverses the thinking on exclusivity and value. Specialized software is expensive, whether bought or written in-house. Sharing is again looking like a boon to efficiency.

Newsbriefs
TECH MUSEUM AWARDS; OPEN SOURCE COURSEWARE PROJECT; NEW SECURITY DOCUMENT FROM EDUCAUSE

Revisiting Standards
Budgets are tight and have been for several years. At the same time, the demand for IT services and resources is increasing. One natural route to cost avoidance is the setting of and adherence to a campus standard for hardware and software. A no-brainer, right?

Edutech Responds
Q. As part of our strategic plan a long time ago, we decided on a regular replacement cycle for all computers. As a result, we have been replacing all public lab machines every two years, all faculty machines every three years, and the machines for everyone else every four years. This has worked well for several years, but now we’re beginning to hear that some folks want to wait a longer period of time before acquiring a new machine. Any advice?

Quote of the Month
The most important challenge facing higher education today is not technological, not political, not managerial, and not financial, although those are all important factors.