From kde-devel  Mon Feb 05 21:39:35 2007
From: RalfGesellensetter <rgx () gmx ! de>
Date: Mon, 05 Feb 2007 21:39:35 +0000
To: kde-devel
Subject: How to make KDE even more popular ;)
Message-Id: <200702060032.52946.rgx () gmx ! de>
X-MARC-Message: https://marc.info/?l=kde-devel&m=117071157526224

Dear KDE Developers,

thank you for providing a smart and usable Desktop that gives a real 
alternative to non-free operation systems. At our school, there are nearly 
1,000 pupils who are able to use KDE 3.5 on their desktop (Debian-Edu 
installation).

I know that most of you are working eagerly to port their apps and libs to 
Qt4. But from time to time, during events or fairs, we [0] are addressed by 
developers: Considering that schools is not only the place where the next 
generation of developers is educated, but also where would-be users and 
decision makers get aquaited to their first computer system, they keep asking 
how to improve the usability of free software in general and KDE in special?

Already now, there are hundreds of schools with thousands of computers running 
Linux: Norway's school lead as for Debian-Edu [1], the region of Extremadura 
(Spain) is using their own Debian based distro LinEx [2] in their schools, 
and upon it there is developping a local free software economy. While 
Debian-Edu uses KDE (because of better l10n and kde-edu), the LinEx distro is 
using Gnome, I think. 

But let's come to the answer of how those of you could distribute to KDE's 
usage in schools who've always been wondering (all the others: please stick 
to your project, I don't mean to pull off any man-power).

Together with some teachers, we collected ideas of missing software or 
software that lacks in KDE [3]. Here is some of it:

*Mathematics*

# Virtual graphical calculator: Simulate a graphic pocket calculator as it is 
used within existing learning outilines. Many school books (grade 11+) refer 
to particular devices whose user interface resemble Derive. (cf. Schulzentrum 
Findorff)

    * Univ. of Bayreuth provides a corresponding java applet: 
http://did.mat.uni-bayreuth.de/~wn/BLK/Rennen/grafcalc.html 
    * there is also a (dead) project "GraphCalc".

# http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominoes: Popular game which is interculturally 
known and trains calculation skills

# stochastiK: Simulations and interactivities to evoke interest in stochastics 
(grade 6-10; coin, cumulated freq.)

# dynamic work sheets: Different types of tasks to be combined as modules - to 
be either solved on the computer (like kpercentage) or to be printed as work 
sheet with definable heading - and solutions on demand. Maybe this needs a 
LaTeX binding.

# Intuitive GUI for maxima algebra system

*Science*
    *

      "KLab": During "Linuxtage Essen" (Essen Linuxdays), some scientists 
addressed the lack of free interfaces to scientific gear such as 
thermometers, gyrometers, geigercounters, whatsoever.

      As a matter of fact, there are already loads of measuring tools - but it 
lacks integration and usabilities if we want to use them in school.

      This made me think: How about a framing project / application similar to 
ksensors? Existing implementations could dock into such framework. The 
framework itself could provide features like
    *      data recording
    *      data plotting
    *      statistical evaluations.

      Also popping into my mind is ksimus datarecorder as possible frontend. 
As it comes to realtime data, acoustic recorders could be another approach.
    *      http://www.qt4lab.org/screenshots.htm looks promising... 

*Computer Sciences*
    *      KDE/Qt-Shell for swi-prolog, to render and query knowledge bases in 
a modern way. This might be solved by kdialog ("joining a katepart and a 
konsolepart with a QSplitter" - TSDgeos).
    *      Komputer: Journey into the heart of a PC (Explore CPU, RAM, 
Busses...)
    *      Kartoffelkaefer: Javakara for C++/Qt/KDE

*Politics*

    *      eleKtions: Interactive representation of voting results (Bundestag, 
Landtag, ...) to be updated from Wikipedia or other online ressources.
    *      equivalent to GrafStat (freeware for schools from German secretary 
for political education) 

*Arts*

KMorph: An even better (Qt!) equivalent to gtkmorph / xmorph

...

This posting is not coordinated with anybody else (namely with members of the 
KDE edu project). However I am sure that that project deserves any kind of 
enforcement ;)

Thank you for reading - and I am curious about your feedback (here or on the 
quoted wiki page)

With kind regards
Ralf.

[0] i.e. the German team of Debian-Edu/Skolelinux that I support as a teacher
[1] http://www.skolelinux.org
[2] http://www.linex.org/linex2/euro-n/ has a nice TV report on the project
[3] http://wiki.skolelinux.de/LernSoftware/Desiderata#English
 
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