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Feature: Migration
Switching art students to GNU/Linux
By Gurdy Leete
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March 22, 2006 (8:00:00 AM)
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I'm an art professor, and last semester I embarked on an exciting new adventure by erasing Mac OS X from nearly all of the Macintoshes in our digital media lab and installing Ubuntu in its place.
I began seriously planning this change last school year, when I realized how fully the current feature sets of free software programs could satisfy the technical needs of the students in my classes. I decided that the time had come to teach our undergraduate art students about free software programs such as the GIMP, Scribus, and Quanta Plus, instead of proprietary programs such as Photoshop, QuarkXpress, and Dreamweaver.
Choosing the distribution and applicationsMy first step was to choose a GNU/Linux distribution. I needed something that would work well with a classroom full of students subjecting it to daily real-world challenges.
I found Penguinppc.org's list of distributions for the PowerPC architecture a useful starting point. After a little research I chose Ubuntu, because I found it easy to install and update on my computers at home, and because it came with a large community of Ubuntu PowerPC users who could offer support on the Ubuntu online discussion forums.
The next step was to determine which applications I'd use. For digital painting and image editing tools to replace Photoshop and Painter, the GIMP was the obvious choice. Krita is gaining some interesting painting capabilities, and next year I think I'll teach that too.
For a vector graphics design program to replace FreeHand, the choices included Skencil, Inkscape, Sodipodi, and OpenOffice.org's Draw. I chose Inkscape because I especially liked its user interface and features such as Tile Clones. As a side benefit, Inkscape's Help menu offers tutorials that are concise, useful, and inspiring.
For a page layout program to substitute for QuarkXpress, I considered Scribus and Passepartout. Scribus seemed to be in a much more mature stage of development, so it seemed to be the better choice. At the time I overlooked Cenon, and I haven't investigated it much since, but Scribus has worked well.
To replace Dreamweaver, I reviewed Bluefish, Nvu, and Screem, but I chose Quanta Plus because I liked its user interface and its project management features.
For designing typefaces in place of programs such as Fontographer or FontLab Studio, FontForge seemed to be the only available choice. It's a terrific tool which was inspired by Fontographer.
The students' reactionsThe students' reactions to all this was inspiring. They felt empowered by the quality of the software and their ability to upgrade, share, and customize it freely. They also appreciated the immense array of additional GNU/Linux multimedia software available to them. And I found it inspiring how many of the students took enthusiastic advantage of other applications, not only by installing software via Synaptic from the Ubuntu repositories of more than 16,000 packages, but in some case by compiling source code from elsewhere.
Near the beginning of each course, I designated a session for an Installfest, and was pleased to see how many students brought in their computers to install free software. I also ordered dozens of free Ubuntu disks from shipit.ubuntu.com for the students to give to their friends, and was happy to see how quickly they disappeared. Beginning students found it helpful to have the software at no cost on their personal computers, so they could easily access it after class. Advanced students felt that the move to free software gave them new capabilities and more freedom.
When students asked if they were learning the industry standard applications that they felt they might need to get a job, I pointed out that in our department fourth-year students spend a semester developing their portfolios using the technologies of their choice, and that once they've learned the free software packages, gaining expertise with their proprietary counterparts won't be difficult in their semester of portfolio development, if they wish. The first group of my "switched to GNU/Linux" students starts their semester of portfolio development now, and I expect they'll do extremely well.
I found that Photoshop and the other proprietary software packages we had been using for years generally had more polished interfaces and more advanced features than the free software we chose. But the free software had more than enough of the core capabilities we needed in my classes, and also often featured desirable capabilities missing in the proprietary software.
The switch saved thousands of dollars in software upgrades. As a result I was able to dramatically lower the lab fee for each class, and require instead that the students purchase additional textbooks. These textbooks enriched the class experience, yet the overall cost to each student was significantly less, which they appreciated.
Technical challengesWe faced a few technical challenges, but I was relieved that we were able to find solutions and workarounds to them all easily. The technical support we received on the Ubuntu forums was great.
Installing the software was easy, using the Ubuntu installer and Ubuntu's Synaptic package manager. Connecting each computer to the campus network was also easy, using the GNOME Network Settings tool.
I wondered what I would use to replace AppleTalk for sharing files between computers, and briefly wondered if I should try to get AppleTalk running under Ubuntu, but then realized that FTP or SSH would work fine. Using Synaptic it was easy to install Konqueror along with the OpenSSH client and server. Konqueror served as a nice GUI for file transfer via SSH, simply by typing in fish:// and the network address in Konqueror's Location field.
During the first few weeks of class the network connection on some computers would sometimes inexplicably die. We worked around this by deactivating the computer's Ethernet connection in the Network Settings window, closing the window, and then reopening the window and reactivating the connection, but it was annoying. Then the Breezy Badger edition of Ubuntu was released, which we easily installed over a weekend after first backing up the student's data directories. At the same time, someone suggested that we turn our classroom's hub off and then on to restart it, in case the hub was locking up. I'm not sure which action was the cure, but after that we never had a network problem again.
At first, the CD/DVD eject button on the Mac keyboards didn't work, and instead we had to use other methods to eject a CD or DVD, but that inconvenience also disappeared when we installed Breezy Badger.
To get our old Wacom tablets to work in the GIMP, we had to manually edit each computer's xorg.conf file and then change the settings in the GIMP's "Configure Extended Input" dialog box after choosing File->Preferences->Input Devices, but that task was fairly well documented on the Ubuntu forums. After that, the graphics tablets worked beautifully, and my students enjoyed the good support for pressure-sensitivity.
Checking the USB Scanners on Linux list, I found that our scanner wasn't supported. I had left Mac OS X on a spare computer, so we simply left our scanner hooked up to that computer, scanned all our images there, and then transferred the files via FTP. We can buy a good new scanner for under $100, so next year we'll buy a scanner that's both Linux and Mac OS X compatible.
By checking www.linuxprinting.org we found our USB inkjet printers were well-supported by Linux drivers. We hooked them up to the USB port of any computer from which we wanted to print, and generally they worked without any problems.
Our monochrome and color laser printers connect to our network via AppleTalk, so to print from them, we transferred our files to our Mac OS X computer and printed from there. Next year, I'll research a method of connecting them directly to our Ubuntu computers, but this approach worked fine.
Future plans and recommendationsThe switch to free software has been a big success here in the Department of Art and Design at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa. This semester I plan to take the switch further in my video classes by replacing Avid DV Express, Final Cut Express HD, Soundtrack, and iDVD with Kino, Cinelerra, Rosegarden, and DVDstyler.
Next year, I plan to replace Maya with Blender, and perhaps substitute some combination of Synfig, OpenLaszlo, or Ktoon for Flash.
If you're contemplating a similar switch, I encourage you to move ahead. Think about which distribution best matches your needs, and select your applications carefully.
If you need to share the computers with classes that aren't using GNU/Linux, you can undoubtedly install GNU/Linux on your computers in a dual-boot configuration with Windows or Mac OS X. With Ubuntu on the Mac I found that to be easy.
Comments
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Yeah, use them expensive proprietary software instead! Who cares if the students can't legally use the same software on their own computers, or have to pay more. Let's give them better job prospects.
What a joke.
What a joke.
Well, any university worth its salt will have a site license so that won't be a problem. And yeah, better job prospects are important since ultimately these students will be entering the job market. Also, multimedia jobs tend to look for people who have experience using the industry standard tools.
Well, any university worth its salt will have a site license so that won't be a problem.
I take it that you've negotiated site licenses before and know the ins-and-outs of them?
*cough* I know of a state-sponsored large public university in North Florida. They have a multitude of software available.
For university owned computers. For a fee that ranges from $50 to $100 a title. AV licenses are a lot less, tho.
No student licenses. For that, you go to the university bookstore. They'll cheerfully sell you a copy of Photoshop. For $299 + tax.
And if nobody switches to free software, the job prospects will be controlled exclusively by the proprietors.
At one time the proprietors fought this same fight, photo editing wasn't always done with computers or the proprietary computer software you might use. It's time that we start positioning society to favor the civics lessons we need to teach instead of teaching everyone to support a dog-eat-dog society where only the rich truly get their say. One way we can do this is to teach people to create and defend community-building rather than devising new ways to hold computer users separate and helpless from each other.
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/schools.html is far more deep-thinking than your post and far more important in the short and long term. But it takes guts to act on these principles, far easier to acquiese to whatever the proprietors tell you to do and let them run your school's computer labs, your wallets, and run your software freedom right out the door.
By the way, I use free software every day at my job. The proprietary software available is often quite poor (Dreamweaver's content management system is poor, what really matters is skill with drawing and photo editing software not the particular program, and no use of any popular proprietary app is a substitute for knowing what's going on with a program--precisely what you're prohibited from learning with proprietary software).
--J.B. Nicholson-Owens (jbn@forestfield.org)
At one time the proprietors fought this same fight, photo editing wasn't always done with computers or the proprietary computer software you might use. It's time that we start positioning society to favor the civics lessons we need to teach instead of teaching everyone to support a dog-eat-dog society where only the rich truly get their say. One way we can do this is to teach people to create and defend community-building rather than devising new ways to hold computer users separate and helpless from each other.
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/schools.html is far more deep-thinking than your post and far more important in the short and long term. But it takes guts to act on these principles, far easier to acquiese to whatever the proprietors tell you to do and let them run your school's computer labs, your wallets, and run your software freedom right out the door.
By the way, I use free software every day at my job. The proprietary software available is often quite poor (Dreamweaver's content management system is poor, what really matters is skill with drawing and photo editing software not the particular program, and no use of any popular proprietary app is a substitute for knowing what's going on with a program--precisely what you're prohibited from learning with proprietary software).
--J.B. Nicholson-Owens (jbn@forestfield.org)
I couldn't agree more.
There's a reason Apple has spent years working to keep their computers in the hands of graphic arts students. Those students move out into the work force and spread their Apple preferences far and wide. The same can be done with open source software. Many close minded people use the status quo as an argument in favor of not fighting against it but that's a circular logic that is counter-evolutionary.
Core computing concepts are for more important and better serve students than experience on a particular platform or software package.
There's a reason Apple has spent years working to keep their computers in the hands of graphic arts students. Those students move out into the work force and spread their Apple preferences far and wide. The same can be done with open source software. Many close minded people use the status quo as an argument in favor of not fighting against it but that's a circular logic that is counter-evolutionary.
Core computing concepts are for more important and better serve students than experience on a particular platform or software package.
I do a computing course at Oxford University, UK. A university hardly known for its production of unemployable degree-holders. When we do procedural programming, the "industry standard" language is C. Everyone who isn't doing object-orientated programming uses C. But we use Oberon. Heard of that? Thought not. But we use it because we are taught how to program and the theory of procedural programming, not how to write C programs. There are good reasons for using Oberon (stronger typing etc prevents you developing a lot of bad habits), and the way the course is taught means the skills are easily transferable to _any_ procedural language. And the same for OOP etc. So when Java goes out of vogue, and C# comes in vogue, our education isn't worthless.
I realise that this is graphical software, which is a different field, but the point of academic (as opposed to vocational) studies is to teach you about a general subject, not how to use a particular tool. When you go to an employer with a degree in graphic design, they can reasonably expect you to be proficient at graphic design, regardless of the software.
And if you use the fourth year to learn Photoshop et al, you can go to a potential employer and say "I'm proficient in graphic design using a variety of tools, _including_ (but not limited to) the industry standard. And as a result, I'm adaptable to new tools and methods." And adaptability is a great bonus...
I realise that this is graphical software, which is a different field, but the point of academic (as opposed to vocational) studies is to teach you about a general subject, not how to use a particular tool. When you go to an employer with a degree in graphic design, they can reasonably expect you to be proficient at graphic design, regardless of the software.
And if you use the fourth year to learn Photoshop et al, you can go to a potential employer and say "I'm proficient in graphic design using a variety of tools, _including_ (but not limited to) the industry standard. And as a result, I'm adaptable to new tools and methods." And adaptability is a great bonus...
No offence, but GIMP and many other Linux programs, while excellent as far as open-source projects go, and having done an admirable job of getting to where they are today, are still very much behind the industry standard pieces of software.
Linux is a great OS, but Mac OS still dominates it in terms of its access to some of the most powerful, feature rich and easy to use programs out there, the iLife suite alone (bundled with all new Macs) is worth far more than Apple charge for it.
If cost is such a huge concern, then yes, maybe ditch Photoshop for GIMP, but Mac OS comes with your bloody computers, if anything you're wasting a considerable amount of money in uninstalling it and replacing it with software that just doesn't do the job as well! Not to mention OS X is far superior in terms of overall work-flow and general performance.
Linux is great for server administrators and other power users (non graphical ones), and it's finally coming of age for mainstream desktop use as its range of friendly and easy to use applications continues to grow, but it is still far away from taking OS X's mantle as the graphics power-house.
Linux is a great OS, but Mac OS still dominates it in terms of its access to some of the most powerful, feature rich and easy to use programs out there, the iLife suite alone (bundled with all new Macs) is worth far more than Apple charge for it.
If cost is such a huge concern, then yes, maybe ditch Photoshop for GIMP, but Mac OS comes with your bloody computers, if anything you're wasting a considerable amount of money in uninstalling it and replacing it with software that just doesn't do the job as well! Not to mention OS X is far superior in terms of overall work-flow and general performance.
Linux is great for server administrators and other power users (non graphical ones), and it's finally coming of age for mainstream desktop use as its range of friendly and easy to use applications continues to grow, but it is still far away from taking OS X's mantle as the graphics power-house.
Yeah, those eye candy from OS X really improve your performance! Really, really...
How do you know their Macs came with the iLife suite? Maybe they ALREADY OWN the Macs.
Maybe it's better to use free software, than to be stuck on the upgrade cycle of proprietary software vendors. Or be stuck with outdated versions of the software.
Maybe it's better to use software that isn't "industry standard" so that students can legally install it on their own computers without paying money. Something good, something bad. You can't just look at the upsides of using Mac OS without looking at the downsides.
How do you know their Macs came with the iLife suite? Maybe they ALREADY OWN the Macs.
Maybe it's better to use free software, than to be stuck on the upgrade cycle of proprietary software vendors. Or be stuck with outdated versions of the software.
Maybe it's better to use software that isn't "industry standard" so that students can legally install it on their own computers without paying money. Something good, something bad. You can't just look at the upsides of using Mac OS without looking at the downsides.
but Mac OS still dominates it in terms of its access to some of the most powerful, feature rich and easy to use programs out there (...) Not to mention OS X is far superior in terms of overall work-flow and general performance.
BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Bro - you are out of your friggin mind if you try to make your case with such claims about your *bloatware* OS and *bloatware* applications (all of the above overpriced).
As for this Linux is great for server administrators and other power users its a platitude which only goes to show that you have no idea what you are talking about.
BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Bro - you are out of your friggin mind if you try to make your case with such claims about your *bloatware* OS and *bloatware* applications (all of the above overpriced).
As for this Linux is great for server administrators and other power users its a platitude which only goes to show that you have no idea what you are talking about.
I completely agree. Having used Photoshop for a couple of years now, and gimp long before that, along with Illustrator/inkscape I've come to realize that graphics software reigns in the order of "OS X, Windows then Linux/UNIX".
Color quality controls aren't built into Linux, they are in OS X (in fact they're really quite strange in windows too). That's a massive example of the lack of professional features in Linux and OSS Graphics software.
Another thing is layer styles, I can do something in photoshop that takes 30 seconds, where as in GIMP it take anywhere from 2:30 to 10:00 or even 15:00...that's insane, and really cripples my creativity.
Inkscape doesn't have pathfinder, or the plethora of advanced symbol tools that illustrator has.
Tool != artist, and I realize this, but there's also a lot practical things that have to be taken into consideration, and they just haven't been yet.
I say good bloody luck to anyone who tries this, really OSS needs all the help it can get, but until it's mature enough to use my workflow (which pales in comparison that of many many other professionals out there) I'm sticking with OS X/Windows and Adobe.
Color quality controls aren't built into Linux, they are in OS X (in fact they're really quite strange in windows too). That's a massive example of the lack of professional features in Linux and OSS Graphics software.
Another thing is layer styles, I can do something in photoshop that takes 30 seconds, where as in GIMP it take anywhere from 2:30 to 10:00 or even 15:00...that's insane, and really cripples my creativity.
Inkscape doesn't have pathfinder, or the plethora of advanced symbol tools that illustrator has.
Tool != artist, and I realize this, but there's also a lot practical things that have to be taken into consideration, and they just haven't been yet.
I say good bloody luck to anyone who tries this, really OSS needs all the help it can get, but until it's mature enough to use my workflow (which pales in comparison that of many many other professionals out there) I'm sticking with OS X/Windows and Adobe.
Can you describe your workflow in more detail? What do you normally use your image manipulation program for? How do you go about doing that in your preferred application?
As the teacher mentioned, these courses are introductions to the world of graphic art. Linux design software covers this base for sure. And, in case you weren't able to read it, the students saved boatloads of money AND could install the same software on their home computers legally. Go ahead and stick with your world of windows viruses and forced Mac OS X upgrades. Tell me, how long is your wonderful G4 going to be compatible now that Mac switched to Intel? Don't worry, you can always install Linux on it!
I'm a designer and I use GIMP instead of Photoshop all the time. One, because I don't have to steal it in order to use it. Two, because it opens and saves to more file formats than Photoshop. And three, Script Fu is the best resource I've ever encountered with tons of totally free add-on scripts that extend GIMP's capabilities ten-fold.
And your biased report on computation times is way off. Nothing has ever taken 15 minutes for me in GIMP on Linux. In fact, my home Linux box beats the new Tiger OS hands down. Tell me, why do upgrades in Windows and Mac OS always run slower? Doesn't it annoy you that they just expect you buy more and more memory instead of streamlining software like the Linux community does? It annoys me.
By the way, welcome to the new software world where it pays to learn multiple Operating Systems. I use 3 myself; Windows XP, Mac OS X, and SUSE Linux. And I know that Linux is perfect for students; its cheap, stable, secure, and supported by a wonderful community of fellow users.
You can go ahead and shell out thousands of dollars on licensing (or steal the proprietary software) while the rest of us contribute to developing these wonderful Open Source tools by using them. We'll let the coporations spend all the money on the proprietary software while helping students to learn design techniques without having to take on even more debt.
I'm a designer and I use GIMP instead of Photoshop all the time. One, because I don't have to steal it in order to use it. Two, because it opens and saves to more file formats than Photoshop. And three, Script Fu is the best resource I've ever encountered with tons of totally free add-on scripts that extend GIMP's capabilities ten-fold.
And your biased report on computation times is way off. Nothing has ever taken 15 minutes for me in GIMP on Linux. In fact, my home Linux box beats the new Tiger OS hands down. Tell me, why do upgrades in Windows and Mac OS always run slower? Doesn't it annoy you that they just expect you buy more and more memory instead of streamlining software like the Linux community does? It annoys me.
By the way, welcome to the new software world where it pays to learn multiple Operating Systems. I use 3 myself; Windows XP, Mac OS X, and SUSE Linux. And I know that Linux is perfect for students; its cheap, stable, secure, and supported by a wonderful community of fellow users.
You can go ahead and shell out thousands of dollars on licensing (or steal the proprietary software) while the rest of us contribute to developing these wonderful Open Source tools by using them. We'll let the coporations spend all the money on the proprietary software while helping students to learn design techniques without having to take on even more debt.
So, why don't you go to some of these linux software sites and list what needs to be done?
That's why linux software continues to evolve and improve (far faster than any proprietary software). People who create software (just like people who create art) are always striving to improve and will add the features you need if you let them know about it...
I find Adobe, etc. to totally unresponsive and just plain greedy when it comes to software. Hence, I don't use their tools.
I find I can do whatever graphics I need with free equivalents (and much more money in my pocket, rather than Adobe's, etc.))
That's why linux software continues to evolve and improve (far faster than any proprietary software). People who create software (just like people who create art) are always striving to improve and will add the features you need if you let them know about it...
I find Adobe, etc. to totally unresponsive and just plain greedy when it comes to software. Hence, I don't use their tools.
I find I can do whatever graphics I need with free equivalents (and much more money in my pocket, rather than Adobe's, etc.))
You've never tried using Linux on a desktop, eh? Personally, I wanna choke myself everytime I have to operate a fucking Mac.
poor students?
learning the linux OS is awesome enough an experience for the kids...
but you honestly think the ilife sweet is worth..well..anything?
the only worthwhile program in the entire set is garageband and I can't see that being of any use in an art class.
you mac zealots are all the same.
learning the linux OS is awesome enough an experience for the kids...
but you honestly think the ilife sweet is worth..well..anything?
the only worthwhile program in the entire set is garageband and I can't see that being of any use in an art class.
you mac zealots are all the same.
This seems completely pointless considering that Mac OS X is, at least last time I checked, POSIX compliant and has ports of every one of the software packages you got up and running on Ubuntu.
Installing Ubuntu is probably easier than installing every single package on a Mac.
This may help them learn the technology and theories rather than being a mouse-jockey (click here.. then here... no wait! I updated and they moved a menu?!!)
It would be interesting to see how these students fare in the real-world or even internships and such after using these tools for a while.
Rock on!
It would be interesting to see how these students fare in the real-world or even internships and such after using these tools for a while.
Rock on!
good article - great example! Just 1 question:
Posted by: Anonymous Coward on March 23, 2006 02:14 AM
First - congrats for ditching OSX and welcome to the free world!
I still wonder what actually made you decided to dump OSX? Was it too slow? Overpriced? Bloated? Were you getting fed up with depending on one corporation's monopoly and vendor lock-in? Did you want a more secure system? Or did you want to use several architectures? Maybe you were concerned that the Mac GUIs would dumb down your students?
I would be very interested to hear from you which of these made you decide to break free.
Cheers!
I still wonder what actually made you decided to dump OSX? Was it too slow? Overpriced? Bloated? Were you getting fed up with depending on one corporation's monopoly and vendor lock-in? Did you want a more secure system? Or did you want to use several architectures? Maybe you were concerned that the Mac GUIs would dumb down your students?
I would be very interested to hear from you which of these made you decide to break free.
Cheers!
OS X is a really nice system, but it's proprietary, and I liked the idea of students being able to freely copy the software on their computers, run it on their own computers at home, give it to their friends and family, and even study the source code and adapt it or improve it, and I also liked that there are so many thousands of free software packages available for them to use in so many different interest areas.
I'm not suggesting that every student took advantage of every one of those benefits, but it was inspiring to see that the benefits were real.
I'm not suggesting that every student took advantage of every one of those benefits, but it was inspiring to see that the benefits were real.
Re:good article - great example! Just 1 question:
Posted by: Anonymous Coward on March 23, 2006 03:04 AM
Thanks for your answer. I bet you that after a couple of years of GNU/Linux use you will not be so sure about OSX being a "really nice system". Just the use of apt-get will make you forget OSX forever!
Either way - bravo & good luck!
Either way - bravo & good luck!
Re:good article - great example! Just 1 question:
Posted by: Anonymous Coward on March 27, 2006 12:01 PM
You mean the same way you use dpkg and apt-get in Fink on OS X? Or you can use FreeBSD-style ports with DarwinPorts.
Dumbfuck.
Dumbfuck.
Re:good article - great example! Just 1 question:
Posted by: Anonymous Coward on March 27, 2006 12:10 PM
Actually the core OS is OSS.
Did you happen to see if there were fink or darwinports versions of those applications available on OS X? Or OS X native versions for that matter?
It astounds me how many people in the Linux camp seem to think that only Linux has these applications available.
Inkscape is available, from the website, as a<nobr> <wbr></nobr>.dmg file for OS X.
GIMP is available, from the website, for OS X as a<nobr> <wbr></nobr>.dmg. It is also available via DarwinPorts.
Quanta (and KDE for that matter) are available for OS X via Fink.
You're selling your students snake oil. There is absolutely no reason they couldn't have used the same pieces of software, as well as many of the great pieces of OSS (or free but not OSS) software made specifically for the Mac. They'd be using a better OS too.
What a joke.
Did you happen to see if there were fink or darwinports versions of those applications available on OS X? Or OS X native versions for that matter?
It astounds me how many people in the Linux camp seem to think that only Linux has these applications available.
Inkscape is available, from the website, as a<nobr> <wbr></nobr>.dmg file for OS X.
GIMP is available, from the website, for OS X as a<nobr> <wbr></nobr>.dmg. It is also available via DarwinPorts.
Quanta (and KDE for that matter) are available for OS X via Fink.
You're selling your students snake oil. There is absolutely no reason they couldn't have used the same pieces of software, as well as many of the great pieces of OSS (or free but not OSS) software made specifically for the Mac. They'd be using a better OS too.
What a joke.
Is an educations supposed to tell you what to thing or how to think?
A story: Years ago I was tutoring my young sister-in-law in math. She was have problems with areas of geometric shapes. She was taught what to think by the forumlas presented for calculating area: s^2 was a square, x*y was a rectangle and 1/2*b*h was a right triangle.
She had not been taught that all three of these were closely releated: b*h for a rectangle or a square (a square just means that b=h) and a right triangle is just half a rectangle so it is b*h divided in half. She had been given three formulas to memorize and saw no relationship between them resulting in confusion. She was taught what to think, not how to think.
A great many art or other classes teach what to do with a particular program instead of teaching the desireable results, why they are desirable and then how to get there with a particular program. Using "non-standard" applications (ie. GIMP instead of Photoshop) helps separate the mundane, rote learning from the more creative true learning. I applaud it's use in any school. It results in thinking students.
A story: Years ago I was tutoring my young sister-in-law in math. She was have problems with areas of geometric shapes. She was taught what to think by the forumlas presented for calculating area: s^2 was a square, x*y was a rectangle and 1/2*b*h was a right triangle.
She had not been taught that all three of these were closely releated: b*h for a rectangle or a square (a square just means that b=h) and a right triangle is just half a rectangle so it is b*h divided in half. She had been given three formulas to memorize and saw no relationship between them resulting in confusion. She was taught what to think, not how to think.
A great many art or other classes teach what to do with a particular program instead of teaching the desireable results, why they are desirable and then how to get there with a particular program. Using "non-standard" applications (ie. GIMP instead of Photoshop) helps separate the mundane, rote learning from the more creative true learning. I applaud it's use in any school. It results in thinking students.
You've made very good point here. Art students shouldn't be there to learn how to use specific software tools. The students need to learn how to think.
You shoudl be able to take the tools that are available to you and get the job done. If all you know is how to use a specific peice of software then you are going to be lost if that software is not available.
I've been in a job where Photoshop ect had been shipped but had not arrived yet but I needed to get a job done. GIMP at the time was very crash prone on Windows ( at least on that machine ) so the only tool I had at my disposal was Paint Brush. It was a major pain, but it got the job done.
You shoudl be able to take the tools that are available to you and get the job done. If all you know is how to use a specific peice of software then you are going to be lost if that software is not available.
I've been in a job where Photoshop ect had been shipped but had not arrived yet but I needed to get a job done. GIMP at the time was very crash prone on Windows ( at least on that machine ) so the only tool I had at my disposal was Paint Brush. It was a major pain, but it got the job done.
Exactly!
The most important thing here is that it teaches people to think in concepts first, and that similar concepts carry over from package to package. Making students believe that only one tool is good for a job breed memorization, and it hurts them in the long run because they begin to fear inevitable change.
Shit, we had a woman here break out into tears because we replaced her beloved outlook express with Thunderbird. Why? "Because none of the same things are there." She could not handle having the menus and buttons move and change shape, and went to the boss in tears and forced us to put Outlook back on there.
Thank you, for putting these students on a track to hopefully prevent the above behavior.
The most important thing here is that it teaches people to think in concepts first, and that similar concepts carry over from package to package. Making students believe that only one tool is good for a job breed memorization, and it hurts them in the long run because they begin to fear inevitable change.
Shit, we had a woman here break out into tears because we replaced her beloved outlook express with Thunderbird. Why? "Because none of the same things are there." She could not handle having the menus and buttons move and change shape, and went to the boss in tears and forced us to put Outlook back on there.
Thank you, for putting these students on a track to hopefully prevent the above behavior.
Your absolutly right. I am a victim of the learning problem from my school years, in fact I just learnt from your example myself. I never realised the formula relationship either. Damn public education!
"A great many art or other classes teach what to do with a particular program instead of teaching the desireable results, why they are desirable and then how to get there with a particular program. Using "non-standard" applications (ie. GIMP instead of Photoshop) helps separate the mundane, rote learning from the more creative true learning."
What magical features does the GIMP have that it suddenly makes students see the light? As far as I can tell, you have merely made the jump from using w×h to a×b. So your students are not only still learning what instead of how, but now you have made sure they learn a what nobody else knows. Be sure to tack on a burger flipping course at the end of the semester, your students are going to need it.
What magical features does the GIMP have that it suddenly makes students see the light? As far as I can tell, you have merely made the jump from using w×h to a×b. So your students are not only still learning what instead of how, but now you have made sure they learn a what nobody else knows. Be sure to tack on a burger flipping course at the end of the semester, your students are going to need it.
I would expect them to burn the school down and whine about Photoshop being the holy grail...
I think this article was great, because it shows the immense strength and versatility of GNU/Linux as a school and university OS. I used to teach at a senior high where all computers had Debian on them. It took a while, but teachers started using them in very different areas --- from science classes to programming to web design to theology to literature. I taught the students to use LaTeX for their final essays, and many of those who continued on to university have thanked me for it afterwards. Of course, this was before the time of Scribus, which makes an excellent complement to LaTeX.
Aside from the practical advantages, I strongly believe that the software used in schools should not be the intellectual 'property' of some company --- be it Microsoft, Apple or something else.
Keep up the good work!
Aside from the practical advantages, I strongly believe that the software used in schools should not be the intellectual 'property' of some company --- be it Microsoft, Apple or something else.
Keep up the good work!
What many posters missed is that this is not about producing graphics, but about learning process.
They may be right that proprietary tools are more powerful for production, but in this case Free software better suits purposes of learning.
Switching to Free software makes learning more exciting, opens for students possibilities for more research, investigating alternatives, much more freedom.
The article shows that this switch allowed to open students curiosity, creativity in many more areas than with closed solutions - such as system setup, configuration, sharing, changing applications.
Andriy
They may be right that proprietary tools are more powerful for production, but in this case Free software better suits purposes of learning.
Switching to Free software makes learning more exciting, opens for students possibilities for more research, investigating alternatives, much more freedom.
The article shows that this switch allowed to open students curiosity, creativity in many more areas than with closed solutions - such as system setup, configuration, sharing, changing applications.
Andriy
"The article shows that this switch allowed to open students curiosity, creativity in many more areas than with closed solutions - such as system setup, configuration, sharing, changing applications."
You do realize that schools have an IT department that handles all that, don't you?
You do realize that schools have an IT department that handles all that, don't you?
Really? And they'll install and configure all the necessary software on my personal computer for me? Will they even come to my house when I'm having a problem with it?
Congratulations on your successful migration to open source software. New industry standards get chosen in the classroom, your students will be able to take the power and flexibility of open source software and bring it into industry with them, paving the way for a future less dominated by proprietary technology.
Most people get discouraged by the problems and lack the resolve needed to pursue the solutions. It looks like you stuck with it and found ways to resolve all the major problems. It is very inspiring to see a teacher reducing costs and adding value for students using open source software. If only my local public school district had people as enlightened as you are!
Most people get discouraged by the problems and lack the resolve needed to pursue the solutions. It looks like you stuck with it and found ways to resolve all the major problems. It is very inspiring to see a teacher reducing costs and adding value for students using open source software. If only my local public school district had people as enlightened as you are!
I agree - awesome article. Inspiring even.
And I also concur with one of the other posters that it's more important to teach how to think not what to think - talk about opening minds! Great stuff.<nobr> <wbr></nobr>:-)
And I also concur with one of the other posters that it's more important to teach how to think not what to think - talk about opening minds! Great stuff.<nobr> <wbr></nobr>:-)
You would teach them on Macs and Windows using all of the usual programs. I had a teacher try to do the same thing as this teacher when I was in school. I got out into the real world and everyone thought it was a joke when I told them what he did.
Teach them marketable skills on the industry standard equipment if you really care about the future of your students.
Teach them marketable skills on the industry standard equipment if you really care about the future of your students.
My kids have used only Linux at home for more than 3 years now. My oldest is taking a "new media" class which consists of Photoshop and some web development. From her description:
- Her peers think it is cool she knows how to use Linux.
- She learns new techniques in Photoshop at school, comes home and figures out how to do the same thing on GIMP, goes back to school and already knows how to accomplish the same thing easier in Photoshop.
- Is grateful to have tools at home when some of her peers complain that they can't use Photoshop at home because it is too expensive to purchase.
- Her teacher thinks it is great she has a broader experience than most other students.
I think she is better learning the concepts of good design by separating the tool from the results. She will be better prepared to learn new things and less afraid to try.
People who think more diversity of experiences is "a joke" are shortsighted. Which employee do you want: one who will freak out when they have to learn a new version of Photoshop or one that will dive in and learn? Which has the more marketable skill: one that knows Photoshop or one that can quickly learn and be productive with whatever you throw at them?
- Her peers think it is cool she knows how to use Linux.
- She learns new techniques in Photoshop at school, comes home and figures out how to do the same thing on GIMP, goes back to school and already knows how to accomplish the same thing easier in Photoshop.
- Is grateful to have tools at home when some of her peers complain that they can't use Photoshop at home because it is too expensive to purchase.
- Her teacher thinks it is great she has a broader experience than most other students.
I think she is better learning the concepts of good design by separating the tool from the results. She will be better prepared to learn new things and less afraid to try.
People who think more diversity of experiences is "a joke" are shortsighted. Which employee do you want: one who will freak out when they have to learn a new version of Photoshop or one that will dive in and learn? Which has the more marketable skill: one that knows Photoshop or one that can quickly learn and be productive with whatever you throw at them?
"People who think more diversity of experiences is "a joke" are shortsighted. Which employee do you want: one who will freak out when they have to learn a new version of Photoshop or one that will dive in and learn?"
Too bad the person who learned Photoshop will most likely have a higher proficiency (sp?) with it.
Too bad the person who learned Photoshop will most likely have a higher proficiency (sp?) with it.
You use a web browser and are exactly 5 key presses away from a dictionary. (ALT-D m - w CTRL-Enter) You probably use a computer every day. Yet you can't spell check . . .
Still think someone only using one thing is going to be more proficient? After all, it didn't help your typing skills.
Still think someone only using one thing is going to be more proficient? After all, it didn't help your typing skills.
I think the POINT is more important than the SPELLING here. I agree with the poster with the spelling error.
But you completely miss the point the other poster was trying to make. The web browser is a tool the same as a graphics program. He uses the browser everyday and yet he doesn't know how to use it very proficiently. So just because someone can say they were taught in Photoshop and only ever used Photoshop doesn't mean they have a higher proficiency than someone that learned the concepts and how to apply them with a number of different tools.
Re(1):My children's experience is different
Posted by: Anonymous [ip: 76.117.91.249] on November 01, 2007 08:45 PM
Missing one point, just to make another isn't useful. Both points are relevant. (also, just for convenience sake, you can make firefox spellcheck input boxes)
A true story: I work with someone who is an MS Word guru. They can work wonders with the program! As a user of computers since 1979 and a software engineer for many years, their knowledge of that program impressives me.
Our older documentation was produced with Lotus WordPro. Once in a while, these documents must be converted to Word format or, if the update required is small, just edited in WordPro to re-publish as a PDF. This "Word wiz" flat refuses to try WordPro after one 5 minute experimental attempt. They freaked out emotionally ("I won't use that crap!") and physically with hands trembling.
What do you think the boss feels about that employee? They are typecast to one role. When new tasks and programs are introduced do you think they are considered for learning the new tools? Nope because they are considered untrainable.
Sure, a shorsighted employer, of which there are too many these days, will reject someone because the don't know Photoshop well enough. As if that one point outweighs all other factors, including a portfolio of excellent graphic work or other proof of compitancy. But a smart employer looks beyond rote learning and a narrow focus. Skills with Photoshop can be learned much more easily than the ability to adapt and do what needs to be done.
Just my observations.
Our older documentation was produced with Lotus WordPro. Once in a while, these documents must be converted to Word format or, if the update required is small, just edited in WordPro to re-publish as a PDF. This "Word wiz" flat refuses to try WordPro after one 5 minute experimental attempt. They freaked out emotionally ("I won't use that crap!") and physically with hands trembling.
What do you think the boss feels about that employee? They are typecast to one role. When new tasks and programs are introduced do you think they are considered for learning the new tools? Nope because they are considered untrainable.
Sure, a shorsighted employer, of which there are too many these days, will reject someone because the don't know Photoshop well enough. As if that one point outweighs all other factors, including a portfolio of excellent graphic work or other proof of compitancy. But a smart employer looks beyond rote learning and a narrow focus. Skills with Photoshop can be learned much more easily than the ability to adapt and do what needs to be done.
Just my observations.
Too bad the person who learned Photoshop will most likely have a higher proficiency (sp?) with it.
In all honesty, that is not terribly likely. If you had read the GP post, you would know that her daughter, who learned GIMP at home, when asked to use Photoshop at school, demonstrated a greater proficiency not only in performing the particular actions requested of her, but also in discovering easier ways to accomplish those tasks in Photoshop. By learning both, she now has a higher proficiency with both than the other students who only learned one.
In all honesty, that is not terribly likely. If you had read the GP post, you would know that her daughter, who learned GIMP at home, when asked to use Photoshop at school, demonstrated a greater proficiency not only in performing the particular actions requested of her, but also in discovering easier ways to accomplish those tasks in Photoshop. By learning both, she now has a higher proficiency with both than the other students who only learned one.
Wow little boy what a nazi speech.
the point is that in addition to learning the art of digital media, they are also getting experience most other digital artists will NEVER get - how to manipulate the underlying technology of digital media - pioneering programs like this will be a MAJOR benefit to the students and to the entire open source community. And as he says, they will also be given the opportunity to apply the fundamental principles learned on any commercial system - they will be very comfortable in photoshop and avid/final cut - but if you dis their use of open source, maybe you should frequent the "i am owned by microsoft/apple/adobe/macromedia" websites instead of newsforge
I went to art school at an Art Institute. I am also very technical and have production experience with OS's ranging from Linux, Unix, Windows, OS X, and more.
If one of my professors tried to pull this, I would immediately demand my money back based on the grounds that how can a school expect to prepare me for industry when it isn't even using industry standard software. Try looking on monster.com or craigslist for jobs that use these open source softwares... Not many if ANY! You can come back with the argument that this prepares you to be able to adapt to many different pieces of software and I agree with that, BUT I don't feel that it should happen on my dime. I want to get experience with the software I will most likely be using in the workplace.
If one of my professors tried to pull this, I would immediately demand my money back based on the grounds that how can a school expect to prepare me for industry when it isn't even using industry standard software. Try looking on monster.com or craigslist for jobs that use these open source softwares... Not many if ANY! You can come back with the argument that this prepares you to be able to adapt to many different pieces of software and I agree with that, BUT I don't feel that it should happen on my dime. I want to get experience with the software I will most likely be using in the workplace.
If you can't install GNU/Linux, you can still get the GIMP on windows. So it doesn't matter if you can use the "industry standard."
I think the original poster is not trying to say you shouldn't learn GIMP, but in an academic setting, the industry standard should be used so that you can be prepared for industry.
Again, that assumes a vocational/technical school like ITT Technical Institute. A university and a voc/tech school have very different goals. A university's purpose is to provide a well-rounded education, specifically, to get to you learn to think. A voc/tech school's mandate is, by contrast, to *train* people. Training and educating are different things; you can train a rat to successfully navigate a specific maze, but you cannot educate that same rat in how to solve *any* maze with which it might be faced. It doesn't understand the very concept of a maze; it just goes where it was trained to go. That's a voc/tech school "teaching Photoshop."
On the other hand, a university's job is to teach folks the very concept of what a maze--any maze--is. Thus, what you learn applies to any maze, and you can figure out how to successfully navigate any maze that you have put in front of you. That's not training; that's education, and it is education that the author of this article aims to do. In this case, "maze" = "graphical arts tool." See the difference?
On the other hand, a university's job is to teach folks the very concept of what a maze--any maze--is. Thus, what you learn applies to any maze, and you can figure out how to successfully navigate any maze that you have put in front of you. That's not training; that's education, and it is education that the author of this article aims to do. In this case, "maze" = "graphical arts tool." See the difference?
That may be appropriate in a vocational school, but a university education is supposed to be deeper than that. I would rather be, or work with, the person that understands concepts and can adapt to any tool you throw at them than the person who is lost if a shorcut key combination or a menu structure changes.
Dude... I admire your sense of adventure. I recently bucked the trend at work and erased Windows and am now running a Linux desktop. ***BUT***!!!
The people complaining that you are ruining your students' futures is probably right. Why does 99% of the world use Windows? Because they buy the stupid marketing hype and believe it. Is there another world outside of Windows and Mac? Absolutely. But most people don't understand it, don't acknowledge it and can't conceive in any way how it can be better, valid or valuable.
The application? Most people aren't going to buy your students' "experience" with GIMP as anything valuable. If it's not "industry standard" it's not "valid." That's just the way most people think. Obvious, I don't agree; I agree with you and your approach. Problem is, this isn't an alternate to Word we're talking about. You are monkeying with your students' future. You had better find a way to give them exposure to the stuff everyone else "accepts." That's just the rest of the lobotomized world for you, sorry!
As for file sharing, you don't need AppleTalk. Turn on Samba on those boxes and do "Windows" (SMB) file sharing. You can attach to one another peer-to-peer using "smb://machine-name/share-names" Just like Windows.
Later,
-pj
Is there another world outside of Windows and Mac? Absolutely. But most people don't understand it, don't acknowledge it and can't conceive in any way how it can be better, valid or valuable.
And that's exactly why we have to get out of this. The students are our future, and if you want to change this damn ignorant thinking then start with them.
What I don't understand about this project is why you dumped OS X. If you want to, ok, fine, that's your decision. But I don't understand it. Out of curiosity, I looked up a couple of the software packages that you switched to - Inkscape and Scribus. Both have packages available for OS X, which I downloaded (I have yet to play with them). I've also used OS X versions of GIMP in the past, and they seemed fine to me. I would guess that there are probably free programs available for OS X for the other things you needed. If you want to cut down on the cost of software programs, I can understand using these free programs, but why dump OS X? It's nice to use. You already paid for it. What's not to like?
This is quite simply a complete and utter disregard for the future careers of these students in order for the "professor" to push his Open Source agenda on unsuspecting and inexperienced students.
Yes, they love the idea that they don't have to spend any cash on Photoshop, but anyone who was serious about his or her career would want to know the tools of the trade, period. That is -- if they plan on ever getting hired.
This is not a question of software quality or features. Prospective employers will ask these students how much Photoshop experience they have, and their honest answer will have to be close to none.
Worse yet -- employers will assume that these students know Photoshop (what design school would teach with anything else?), then later discover that their new hires didn't have the skills they were looking for after all. Probably not going to get them canned, but the people that work the slowest (people that don't know the tools) will probably advance in their careers at the same pace.
Photoshop and Quark are huge applications that have lots of little details that take time to learn. While the GIMP and other tools may teach certain concepts of design tools, there is no substitute for the real thing in the professional world.
Gimp does not natively support CMYK, the default color scheme for the print world. How about color matching technology (monitor/printer)? Pantone color palatte support? These are all considerations that have to be taken seriously when producing art.
If this were an elective "design semester with Open Source tools", and there was full disclosure that not one major design house uses anything BUT Photoshop, perhaps this class would be acceptable.
Personally, I would ask for a refund and find another class / lab to work in.
Yes, they love the idea that they don't have to spend any cash on Photoshop, but anyone who was serious about his or her career would want to know the tools of the trade, period. That is -- if they plan on ever getting hired.
This is not a question of software quality or features. Prospective employers will ask these students how much Photoshop experience they have, and their honest answer will have to be close to none.
Worse yet -- employers will assume that these students know Photoshop (what design school would teach with anything else?), then later discover that their new hires didn't have the skills they were looking for after all. Probably not going to get them canned, but the people that work the slowest (people that don't know the tools) will probably advance in their careers at the same pace.
Photoshop and Quark are huge applications that have lots of little details that take time to learn. While the GIMP and other tools may teach certain concepts of design tools, there is no substitute for the real thing in the professional world.
Gimp does not natively support CMYK, the default color scheme for the print world. How about color matching technology (monitor/printer)? Pantone color palatte support? These are all considerations that have to be taken seriously when producing art.
If this were an elective "design semester with Open Source tools", and there was full disclosure that not one major design house uses anything BUT Photoshop, perhaps this class would be acceptable.
Personally, I would ask for a refund and find another class / lab to work in.
Oh, and to top it off, if you are a designer and don't know how to use a Mac -- GO HOME! Its what the industry uses! Not to say you can't make your career with Windows, but Linux? Linux is good for some things however, this is not one of them.
I completely agree with this comment. I was about the post the same message, because as a student who is taking a publishing oriented design course, I KNOW that the industry standards are what people look for.
On top of all this, Adobe CS is an incredibly detailed suite of applications that can take years to fully learn. If you don't know how to use Photoshop - then good luck getting a job. The idea of letting them "teach themselves how to use it in 4-year" is completely ridiculous.
Sorry, but if I was the student I would demand my money back and drop your course. Its too bad that the teacher is praying off poor naive students who don't know anything yet. I had an instructor like this once, he got fired.
On top of all this, Adobe CS is an incredibly detailed suite of applications that can take years to fully learn. If you don't know how to use Photoshop - then good luck getting a job. The idea of letting them "teach themselves how to use it in 4-year" is completely ridiculous.
Sorry, but if I was the student I would demand my money back and drop your course. Its too bad that the teacher is praying off poor naive students who don't know anything yet. I had an instructor like this once, he got fired.
I don't work in the graphic design industry so maybe I need some education here. Is this a likely scenerio?
- Get a degree/certificate in graphic design, learning mostly with GIMP, Blender3D, etc.
- Create an excellent portfolio of your work.
- Send out resumes.
- Go to an interview.
- Do well with the questions, self presentation, etc.
- Impress them with your portfolio.
- Get asked "Do you know Photoshop?"
- Respond "I am proficient with Photoshop but I prefer to use GIMP, etc. when it is appropriate. All of my portfolio was created with these preferred Free Software tools."
- Interview over, leave without the job.
Does that really happen? Good self presentation and an excellent body of work are completely canceled out because the person doesn't use Photoshop enough?
- Get a degree/certificate in graphic design, learning mostly with GIMP, Blender3D, etc.
- Create an excellent portfolio of your work.
- Send out resumes.
- Go to an interview.
- Do well with the questions, self presentation, etc.
- Impress them with your portfolio.
- Get asked "Do you know Photoshop?"
- Respond "I am proficient with Photoshop but I prefer to use GIMP, etc. when it is appropriate. All of my portfolio was created with these preferred Free Software tools."
- Interview over, leave without the job.
Does that really happen? Good self presentation and an excellent body of work are completely canceled out because the person doesn't use Photoshop enough?
Getting past the resume step might not work. Employers search for keywords, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Quark, etc. may be some of these keywords.
Portfolios aren't always sent out first either -sometimes they are first seen during the inital interview, unless the portfolio is online.
Also, these students are not going to be proficient in Photoshop. They get to teach themselves the program for one semester, which is not nearly enough knowledge for a professional job.
I would much rather see this students experiment with the Open Source software during their "Portfolio" semester.
Portfolios aren't always sent out first either -sometimes they are first seen during the inital interview, unless the portfolio is online.
Also, these students are not going to be proficient in Photoshop. They get to teach themselves the program for one semester, which is not nearly enough knowledge for a professional job.
I would much rather see this students experiment with the Open Source software during their "Portfolio" semester.
Smart Move: You just initiated an out of the box thinking situation for your students. Most people consider using a feature in software a linear problem with a linear equation. If a professor makes you perform the same task in different software then you will have to learn the cause and effect more fully.
Still why trash OS X? Not enough funding for more ram? OS is a dream to use ports of free software.
Still why trash OS X? Not enough funding for more ram? OS is a dream to use ports of free software.
I completely agree, as an open source advocate and semi-professional photographer, I have long awaited the day when I can ditch Photoshop for the GIMP, and for lo-res graphics editing its is quite capable, but I still can not use GIMP for any kind of serious hi-res photo editing.. Adobe has spent millions of dollars and almost as many years perfecting the user-to-software experience found in Photoshop, and it is hubris of the OS community to insist that it has something comparable completed in less time, with less people working on it, and with less funding. I use almost every program listed in this article in a limited capacity, and hope that one day they are as complete as their commercial counterparts that are available today. Were I to pay for a course in photo editing, I would expect to be taught using the industry's standard tools, and currently that is Photoshop, hands down.
Adobe has spent millions of dollars and almost as many years perfecting the user-to-software experience found in Photoshop, and it is hubris of the OS community to insist that it has something comparable completed in less time, with less people working on it, and with less funding.
It is a fallacy to think that a software company:
- Invests more money because it makes more money
- It is effective
If you just want to learn how to use Photoshop, then you go to a vocational school; if you want to learn the underlying _academic_ concepts of a subject, then you go to university.
Agreed with most other people here... it would have been wiser to keep OSX, and install the free software on it instead of switching to Ubuntu.
That way you'd be able to teach both Photoshop and GIMP, or primarily teach Photoshop and give students enough of the basics that they'd be comfortable installing the GIMP at home for free.
The reality is that these students aren't going to become technical gurus. They're basically artists using software instead of paintbrushes.
As for their job prospects, another unfortunate reality is that the majority of the population isn't too bright, so you'd better teach your students enough Photoshop that they can credibly claim to know how to use it, else they might not get jobs.
That way you'd be able to teach both Photoshop and GIMP, or primarily teach Photoshop and give students enough of the basics that they'd be comfortable installing the GIMP at home for free.
The reality is that these students aren't going to become technical gurus. They're basically artists using software instead of paintbrushes.
As for their job prospects, another unfortunate reality is that the majority of the population isn't too bright, so you'd better teach your students enough Photoshop that they can credibly claim to know how to use it, else they might not get jobs.
I guess Linus never used Visual C in his time as a student. He may have difficult getting a programming job, but in the end he managed to create a legend.
Do you have any idea what kind of careers these students is going to have. Do you think anyone of these students will ever be asked what programs they knows. They are art students, they are mostly working for themselves and will seldom become employees in a typically firm.
I applause this professor's willingness to teach the consept they are working with instead of just choosing the mainstream program graphical designers and other low level computerworkers are using.
I applause this professor's willingness to teach the consept they are working with instead of just choosing the mainstream program graphical designers and other low level computerworkers are using.
I have no problem with someone who has a passion for Ubuntu, or any other OS, but this "professor's" first and sacred task is to prepare his students for the real world as employees. He has put his Ubuntu passion before his duty, and is therefore an irresponsible zealot. I employ designers in an agency, and it saddens me to see graduates who are unemployable due to their lack of real-world skills and attitudes. I have spoken to the head of a respected art school, which takes a purely academic approach - ie they see no need to provide any skills which will give them the ability to get a starting level job. I have also employed designers straight out of university, but only one has ever worked out, and that was basically because she was willing to throw away the arrogant and out of touch attitudes she had learnt in art school, work extremely hard, and learn what she needs to survive and prosper. Our clients have very high standards, which we deliver, but they won't tolerate wet-behind-the-ears graduates who know everything (and know nothing!). And if those graduates have been using obscure software, so have only a superficial knowledge of Photoshop/InDesign/Illustrator, then their chances of getting a job, or surviving if they do get a job, are next to nothing. Only a tiny percentage of students will have the drive and talent to overcome obstacles like that, the rest will be resentful and bitter towards their professor who took them down the wrong path - and rightly so. It's a tough enough world already, without lumbering them with a handicap like that.
Anyone who can master the GIMP could take to Photoshop with no difficulty and do very well with it. I don't see the point-- no university professor should be teaching someone how to use a particular program, that's what trade schools are for. In a university, the methods are to be stressed, not the specific applications that utilize said methods.
"[...]this "professor's" first and sacred task is to prepare his students for the real world as employees"
Interesting perspective. Many professors seek to educate their students to be leaders and employERs. Given that task, a potential employer would be wise to have experience with a variety of operating systems and applications, and feel comfortable assessing and evaluating each one for effectiveness.
Interesting perspective. Many professors seek to educate their students to be leaders and employERs. Given that task, a potential employer would be wise to have experience with a variety of operating systems and applications, and feel comfortable assessing and evaluating each one for effectiveness.
Sure, I look for independence of thought and initiative in potential employees, but I have yet to see any new graduate who can operate nearly as well as someone with (x) years of experience - for most, applying their skills out in the "real world" means a steep learning curve for them. It's a part of their continuing education.
And why would we be "wise to have experience with a variety of operating systems and applications"? We use the tools which are most effective, and for the most part, that means "industry-standard". We will only use other OSs and applications if there is a strong practical/financial reason to do so. And the purchase cost of an application or OS is insignificant in business - it's the return on investment which counts, and for the most part "cheap" or "free" applications cost far more in support or training (and incompatibility problems) than the ones we have to buy.
And why would we be "wise to have experience with a variety of operating systems and applications"? We use the tools which are most effective, and for the most part, that means "industry-standard". We will only use other OSs and applications if there is a strong practical/financial reason to do so. And the purchase cost of an application or OS is insignificant in business - it's the return on investment which counts, and for the most part "cheap" or "free" applications cost far more in support or training (and incompatibility problems) than the ones we have to buy.
What convoluted logic. Yes, work experience will teach you more about a program than a university education ever would. The university education is to teach concepts, and learning concepts gives the university education more lasting advantage than the relatively miniscule amount of learning a particular program interface that is possible at a university ever could. If an employee doesn't learn more about the program he is using in his first three months on the job than he ever would in four years of university education then he will not be a very valuable employee.
"...but this "professor's" first and sacred task is to prepare his students for the real world as employees."
You're right, the public school system in most any country was established by industry to manufacture better workers. There are some people who, however, take the opportunity of going to school to learn HOW to learn. This is real education. Chances are better that a leader will come out of this class than the usual memorization<nobr> <wbr></nobr>/regurgitation drivel taught in schools.
Did you ever think instead of climbing a corporate ladder that you might be better off getting a ladder of your own? This constant mantra of "get us ready for an employer" is truly a rock-solid mindset of hand-wringing followers, not leaders. ("What else could we do?!"). "Sacred" was the perfect word for this talk-back. All hail the holy corporations!
You're right, the public school system in most any country was established by industry to manufacture better workers. There are some people who, however, take the opportunity of going to school to learn HOW to learn. This is real education. Chances are better that a leader will come out of this class than the usual memorization<nobr> <wbr></nobr>/regurgitation drivel taught in schools.
Did you ever think instead of climbing a corporate ladder that you might be better off getting a ladder of your own? This constant mantra of "get us ready for an employer" is truly a rock-solid mindset of hand-wringing followers, not leaders. ("What else could we do?!"). "Sacred" was the perfect word for this talk-back. All hail the holy corporations!
That's a cynical re-interpretation of what I (didn't) say. If you think that sidetracking these students off into a software dead-end is leadership, then I don't understand your thinking. I have seen corporate drones, and I would never employ them.
Your view on what "employees" are, is your own, not mine. I don't see the value in students going through years of training, and come out not only unemployable in their chosen profession, but consigned to drudgery and mindless jobs. Did their "independent education" lead them to glory and a utopian future? Never that I saw - quite the opposite, because it wasn't truly independent, but in fact extremely narrow, just like this hidebound dogmatist.
Your view on what "employees" are, is your own, not mine. I don't see the value in students going through years of training, and come out not only unemployable in their chosen profession, but consigned to drudgery and mindless jobs. Did their "independent education" lead them to glory and a utopian future? Never that I saw - quite the opposite, because it wasn't truly independent, but in fact extremely narrow, just like this hidebound dogmatist.
"I don't see the value in students going through years of training..."
That's the key right there. A university's job is not, and never has been, "training". That's a vocational/technical school's job, and they have their place. If you want "Photoshop training", then go there. If, on the other hand, you want an actual education, i. e. "how to learn", then you go to a university. At a university, you go through years of *education*, not "training".
In short, it's this.
University = learning what art is and how to be an artist, independent of the "brand" of tool used for your chosen medium.
Voc/Tech School = learning a specific tool (e. g. Photoshop) to do your art, after you've learned how to be an artist.
That's the key right there. A university's job is not, and never has been, "training". That's a vocational/technical school's job, and they have their place. If you want "Photoshop training", then go there. If, on the other hand, you want an actual education, i. e. "how to learn", then you go to a university. At a university, you go through years of *education*, not "training".
In short, it's this.
University = learning what art is and how to be an artist, independent of the "brand" of tool used for your chosen medium.
Voc/Tech School = learning a specific tool (e. g. Photoshop) to do your art, after you've learned how to be an artist.
"I have no problem with someone who has a passion for Ubuntu, or any other OS, but this "professor's" first and sacred task is to prepare his students for the real world as employees."<nobr> <wbr></nobr>...and I thought the point of Universities were to educate "individuals", as in able thinking citizens, professionals if you will.
My god, the day Universities are reduced to making "employees" is the day this country might as well pack it in.
Is there a *single* graphics "professional" that is going to tell me they couldn't get up to speed on a second program, in about a couple weeks, for a really complex program like Photoshop, already knowing how to do graphics?
What a joke, if you can't manage that, you got bigger problems than what graphics app you learned on. You should not be in a computer based profession.
The entire history of computer based activity is a continuous series of dominant realities giving way to new realities. according to t
My god, the day Universities are reduced to making "employees" is the day this country might as well pack it in.
Is there a *single* graphics "professional" that is going to tell me they couldn't get up to speed on a second program, in about a couple weeks, for a really complex program like Photoshop, already knowing how to do graphics?
What a joke, if you can't manage that, you got bigger problems than what graphics app you learned on. You should not be in a computer based profession.
The entire history of computer based activity is a continuous series of dominant realities giving way to new realities. according to t
One of a kind.
Posted by: Anonymous Coward on March 22, 2006 11:54 PMYeah, them job prospects are just going to be rolling in.
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