From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: "S. Champailler" Subject: Re: General advice beyond Org Date: Fri, 18 May 2018 13:10:29 +0200 (CEST) Message-ID: <388980089.343281.1526641829368@webmail.appsuite.proximus.be> References: <7dc580d0ea76c21328dc586ffadb5499@openmail.cc> Reply-To: "S. Champailler" Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Return-path: In-Reply-To: List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Sender: "help-gnu-emacs" To: Org-mode , help-gnu-emacs List-Id: emacs-orgmode.gnu.org This is a super wise advice : >> Be a scout in the proprietary camp. Learn the tools your instructors are >> willing to teach. Learn what it takes to achieve the same results with f= ree >> software. Learn the difference in workflows and user experience. Comparing stuff in scenarios you don't invent yourself is super enlightenin= g. Once you don't define the scenario, all sorts of edge/unexpected situati= ons arise. For example, if you work with math stuff, I'm sure you'll find interesting = differences between computations results (e.g. matlab equations solving ver= sus say Octave). stF > Le 18 mai 2018 =C3=A0 12:54, Yuri Khan a =C3=A9crit= : >=20 >=20 > On Fri, May 18, 2018 at 7:29 AM wrote: >=20 > > _I_ need help. I am in graduate school, and I keep having issues with m= y > > advisor for my strong inclination to use free software. I am obviously > > not in position to refuse, but she dislikes to have discussions about > > it. She pays a stipend to me every month, and my tuition is wa[i]ved. >=20 > > Is anyone here aware of a place where they do computational human > > biomechanics, mechanics, materials or finite elements where I could > > interact with free software? (having github, LaTeX, Python, etc.; avoid > > Micro$oft products, Matlab, Mathematica, etc.). Is there no place where > > one can simply use free software on a daily basis? >=20 > Are you required to pay for licenses for proprietary software you are ask= ed > to use? Chances are, your school is getting academic discounts, and you g= et > to use it for no charge. >=20 > Your instructors and professors probably have a lot of experience with > those tools. They are understandably reluctant to switch, because the too= ls > work well enough for them. >=20 > Also, as a student, you do not have sufficient influence to convert > everybody at your school to free software. >=20 > > As a student or junior faculty, how do you go about this? Do you just > > nod and wave your freedom good bye? >=20 > The point of education is to get exposed to many tools, techniques and > workflows. By limiting yourself to free software only, you will miss out. >=20 > Be a scout in the proprietary camp. Learn the tools your instructors are > willing to teach. Learn what it takes to achieve the same results with fr= ee > software. Learn the difference in workflows and user experience. >=20 > You will find something you can do with free software that you don=E2=80= =99t know > how to do with proprietary tools. Ask your teachers. They will either poi= nt > you at something you missed (and then you can study it); or they will adm= it > that feature is nice but their tool doesn=E2=80=99t have it (and then you= have > demonstrated the merits of free software); or they will say it=E2=80=99s = not > important. >=20 > You will also likely find more than a few points where non-free software > delivers better UX. Use that knowledge to improve free software so that i= t > can compete with proprietary software on UX terms, not only on the issue = of > freedom. >