[OPLINTECH] public software foundation

[Chad Neeper (list)]

I saw Ed's original post and out of curiosity, checked out the titles 
that the foundation was providing...and opted not to forward the 
information on to the libraries I support that don't already monitor 
this list for several of the same reasons already mentioned:  Frequent 
title changes would either rather quickly obsolete the offerings or 
require frequent checking, obtaining, and cataloging of new titles to 
keep current (hands-on staff time); and simply lack of patron demand. 
Although others have made some good points, those are the two things 
that immediately jumped to mind that made me rather quickly dismiss the 
idea.

Chad

-----------------------
Chad Neeper
Senior Systems Engineer

Level 9 Networks
740-548-8070 (voice)
866-214-6607 (fax)

--   Full LAN/WAN consulting services   --
-- Specialized in libraries and schools --



Ed Liddle wrote:
> If I checkout a dvd or a book, bring it home and come down with an
> illness that I feel I caught from the dvd or book, does that make the
> library liable for my medical bills or loss of income from my missed
> days at work? Would I have gotten sick if I didn't go to the store on
> the way home from the library? In this scenario there are many variables
> that could have made me sick and several things I could have done to
> prevent myself from getting sick like wash my hands before I ate.  
>
> For example try brining up an unpatched copy of SQL 2000 on a machine
>   
>> and see how quickly you have sasser on your network. And it isn't just a
>> windows thing. There are plenty of vulnerabilities in all flavors of
>> linux if they are not patched. 
>>     
> How safe is your network? Do you have a firewall? Do you run as root? Is
> your windows user an admin user? Could you prevent sasser from entering
> your network from the internet by using a firewall? Even in this
> scenario there are several things a computer user can do to prevent
> their computer from getting a virus or from being hacked due to
> vulnerabilities in any type of software. Is the library liable for t
> hosed computer because you decided not to properly protect your network,
> or because of the decision made to install the software that was checked
> out from the library?
>
> I personally don't see how a library can be liable for bad things that
> can happen to a computer by lending software. 
>
> That is my opinion about it.
>
> -Ed Liddle
>
>
>
>   
> On Thu, 2008-05-29 at 15:40 -0400, JKENZIG wrote:
>   
>> The problem with lending out software even if it is open source is that
>> versioning changes so frequently that by the time you get it set up and
>> lend it out you are lending an obsolete and potentionally hazardous
>> unupdated release of the product. There could be numerous
>> vulnerabilities out there that a user could get infected with on their
>> computer as soon as they install such software. Does that make the
>> library liable if their PC is trashed? 
>> For example try brining up an unpatched copy of SQL 2000 on a machine
>> and see how quickly you have sasser on your network. And it isn't just a
>> windows thing. There are plenty of vulnerabilities in all flavors of
>> linux if they are not patched. 
>>
>> I think if it was such a great idea you would see video stores and
>> bookstores doing it (charge for cost of cd or something I don't know)
>> I just don't think it is a service the library should offer because
>> there are so many other resources for software.
>>
>> Jim Kenzig
>> Network Manager
>> Cuyahoga County Public Library
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: oplintech-bounces at oplin.org [mailto:oplintech-bounces at oplin.org]
>> On Behalf Of Ed Liddle
>> Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2008 3:32 PM
>> To: Nathan Eady
>> Cc: OPLINTECH
>> Subject: Re: [OPLINTECH] public software foundation
>>
>>
>> On Thu, 2008-05-29 at 12:42 -0400, Nathan Eady wrote:
>>     
>>> Wouldn't you get a steady stream of
>>> requests for Microsoft Windows installation disks, from people who
>>> have lost their OEM ones and need to reinstall, not to mention MS
>>> Office and Symantec AV and such?
>>>       
>> We get patrons in our library from time to time who want to check out
>> microsoft office to install on their computers at home. For some reason
>> they assume that since it is loaded on our public computers that we must
>> lend it out. In my opinion it would be nice to have an open office CD
>> cataloged that you could point them to instead of a piece of scrap paper
>> with the address http://openoffice.org scribbled on it, or give them the
>> information that microsoft office sells for about 400 or 500 dollars at
>> a retail location.
>> On occasion I will download and burn some open source software to a CD
>> for a patron who has a computer at home but has either no or slow (dial
>> up) internet access. We have a few patrons who don't have broadband
>> internet available where they live.
>> We haven't gotten many requests for windows installation media or open
>> source operating system installation media from patrons. I suspect it is
>> because media like this is typically included with their PC purchase.
>> Sadly it is often housed on a hidden restore partition on the hard drive
>> with instructions in the manual to burn a copy of it to cd/dvd media and
>> don't lose it because only 1 or 2 copies are allowed to be made of it.
>> If the hard drive failure rate exceeds the computer replacement rate
>> there may be one day frequent requests for such media.   
>>
>>
>>     

-- 

-----------------------
Chad Neeper
Senior Systems Engineer

Level 9 Networks
740-548-8070 (voice)
866-214-6607 (fax)

--   Full LAN/WAN consulting services   --
-- Specialized in libraries and schools --

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