OStatic

At OStatic, we've written on several occasions about how schools could benefit from adopting open source software solutions--an effort already going on in many parts of the world. We've also reported on the multi-billion dollar U.S. market for textbooks, and the huge cost savings that could be reaped by educational institutions if they pursue open source textbooks. Now, as Ars Technica reports, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has launched an inititative to compile open source textbooks for the state, which is experiencing a budget crisis. The initiative faces an uphill battle, but shows a lot of promise, especially if it gets funding.

The seventh annual Southern California Linux Expo (SCALE) is scheduled to get underway early next month, along with a few co-hosted mini-conferences that address issues surroundingwomen in open source (WIOS) and FOSS health care solutions.

I caught up with one of the event's organizers, Gareth Greenaway, to find get the inside scoop on what's new, what's different, and what they've learned from past events.