[plug] Education for the masses

[Leon Brooks]

I've talked with a few other course providers. The typical class size is
about ten or a dozen, typical course runs for five mornings a week
totalling about 15 hours, and charges for workaday things like Windows
and accounting packages seem to be standardised on $10/student/hour.
More specific and more "executive" things start at $15 and range up.

Here is what I propose starting with:

Course                        Extent      Cost (BYOC)*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
Intro to Linux                9 hours      $90
Intermediate Linux            9 hours     $120
Build Your Own Computer       4 hours      $80**
Linux Install Workshop        One Day      $90
Internet Administration       25 hours    $400
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
* Bring Your Own Computer (or rent one for, say $3/hour).
** Must either bring own computer or buy one to make. Who here wants to
sell hardware? (-:

INTRO TO LINUX
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is your computer. This is how to login. This is how to start X.
This is how to dial your ISP. This is how to use common applications
(Netscape and a wordprocessor or two). This is how to manage files. And
so on. Run as either three consecutive morning sessions of 3 hours each
or a Sunday marathon. Looking for class sizes 8-10. Brief exam at end
and "show" certificates as appropriate.

INTERMEDIATE LINUX
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is how to build a little home network. This is how to serve things
to Windows machines. This is how to configure a few basics (printers,
modems, scanners, suchlike). This is how to add an IRC terminal so you
you can IRC and browse at the same time. This is how to edit inetd.conf
to make your machine safer. This is how to get and install software
upgrades. A few other oddments like that. Looking for class sizes 6-8.
Brief exam and semi-serious certificate at end.

BUILD YOUR OWN COMPUTER
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What it says, plus throw Linux on to it. Must bring parts or buy on
site. Looking for class sizes 4-6. "Show" certificate and working
computer at end.

LINUX INSTALL WORKSHOP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Go carefully though Linux install, learn about each point. Intended to
be a follow-up to BYOC but if participants can demonstrate basic
hardware competence (maybe a one or two page questionnaire), not a
prerequisite. Set up and tinker with a few bits and pieces like maybe
Apache+PHP+SQL, a major office app, pppd and so on. Class sizes 6-8.

INTERNET ADMINISTRATION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Carefully set up a machine to be an Internet server. Broken up into
modules, each one examined and a serious cert issued at end. Suggested
(not a la Amplitur in Alan Dean Foster's "Spoils of War") modules are:
connectivity and routing, name services, web hosting, DB hosting, mail
hosting, dialup management, helpdesk technique, traffic management and
tie it all together in security and maintenance. Finish with a fully
set-up machine including all basic services, basic knowledge of dealing
with routers and similar "glue" hardware, and serious-looking cert.
Aiming for class size of 4. Planning eventually to market this to
Centrelink and industry.

How say you?

-- 
"UNIX is like a Vorlon.  It is incredibly powerful, gives terse,
 cryptic answers and has alot of things going on in the background."