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06 August
Is Free Costing Us Too Much In Ireland?
Huge Task Facing Teachers & Parents
by
SoftwareGuru
Software4Students started out helping
disadvantaged schools in Ireland and the UK.
We know that teachers in Ireland have a tough job.
Not
only are they required to educate on limited resources but they
have to challenge everyday perceptions children learn at home.
The attitudes and ideas expressed by parents in Ireland will be
carried on by their children long after they are gone.
With the Irish economy in urgent need of embracing the online
digital revolution, it could be argued that our collective mindset is holding us back.
If you hear a false idea often enough you begin to
believe it is true.
"Why buy music legally when artists don't make any money,
only the record labels? See them live instead."
Another day, another Irish independent label goes to the wall
unable to fund another release that isn't mainstream X-factor
material.
Meanwhile, one of Dublin's best independent record shops
Road
Records had to close recently.
"Why pay to watch movies legally? Big movie studios make
enough money."
Try telling that to any
Irish writer/director trying to persuade
investors that there's a paying audience for a small budget
movie beyond the Hollywood mainstream blockbuster.
For a nation which prides itself on its creative arts and music
we don't appear to have any grasp of the damage we are currently
doing to those industries.
Ireland is creatively and culturally poorer when we
choose not to support those industries.
That doesn't even cover the financial aspect of job creation and
attracting new companies to Ireland. All of this leads us to the
tribe mentality.
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The Tribe
Mentality
When writing about software you come across a
staggering amount of brand bias.
Why do we allow brands to persuade us that their product somehow
reinforces our image of ourselves?
Software is not a sports team. It's not an extension of your
imagined personality.
Investing emotionally in your Windows or Apple computer
makes as much sense as investing emotionally in your Zanussi
washing machine.
It's a tool to get things done, not an achievement
badge that they handed you at cub scouts.
That we should live our lives vicariously through the success of a
non-local, adopted sports
team or software brand illustrates how empty modern life has
become for many.
It's not easy to leave your comfort zone, and it's even more
difficult to admit to yourself that you were wrong about
something.
Students in Ireland today need the best software tools
available whether they are commercial such as Microsoft Office or
a free popular blog platform like Wordpress.
We need to educate people to adopt the best available tools so
that they can create more opportunities for themselves.
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An all-inclusive society
Students from all backgrounds deserve an
opportunity to learn new skills and make a future for
themselves.
Local libraries have often been an invaluable place for learning
away from home after school.
Parents and teachers must lead by example and give students,
particularly those from poorer backgrounds, hope that they can
achieve their ambitions with hardwork and determination.
Thankfully the cost of both home computers,
laptops and software has become more affordable in recent years.
Access to information and learning tools means easier
and cheaper access to the Internet must be a priority for any
Irish government.
Microsoft's investment in Ireland has played an important role
in shaping ICT development both in schools and in the workplace.
The media is always quick to criticise because it sells papers
and generates clicks online. However, the occasional
acknowledgement of the tremendous contribution Microsoft has
made to next-gen digital development in Ireland wouldn't be out
of place.
Each of us in Ireland has a responsibility to make choices that:
- take responsibility for our own financial lives
- support Ireland's creative industries and jobs
- set a positive example to our children in relation to
ownership of digital content
Ireland will only remain a place where music and arts in general
can thrive if we support the artists.
Ask yourself this question: if you are a baker and people
keep stealing your bread, how long would you continue before
giving up?
This isn't just Ireland's identity that we're putting at
risk, it's our own.
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Posted by
admin
at
16:56
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Is Free Costing Us Too Much In Ireland?