Thoughts on Technology

  • Subscribe to our RSS feed.
  • Twitter
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Digg

Tuesday, 20 July 2010

Blackboard - No Linux for Online Education

Posted on 06:44 by Unknown
In addition to being a Linux Advocate and working 40+ hours a week I am also a full time student. Due to schedule constraints I often take classes online at Governors State University. To manage their online classes GSU uses a system called Blackboard. If you've stopped by my blog here before you probably know that I run various forms of Linux on all of my personal computers. In addition to this I am almost always using a bleeding edge browser build. It was the bleeding edge part that made me assume when I saw this message:

That is just didn't like the latest Firefox I had installed. For an entire trimester I just clicked past this Window (the website itself worked perfectly fine in my bleeding edge Firefox). Earlier this week however I was curious as to just want browsers were "supported" by the Blackboard system. It was then that I discovered what they really meant by "supported browsers" was "supported operating systems and browsers".

That is right - not a lick of Linux support (or even listed compatibility) in sight.
Nevermind the fact that Linux with the Firefox browser works fine for accessing the webpage - they just refuse to test it (or if they have tested it they refuse to list it as working). Now, for someone such as myself this isn't really a big deal. I see a message such as this one, shrug my shoulders, and see if it works anyways (which it does in this case).

My problem with things such as this is that what if one of the many people I have installed Linux for visit a webpage such as this one? Most people are easily intimidated by messages such as this and more than a few would not even try to log in after seeing their "browser" is "not supported". I am really hoping messages such as these will become less and less frequent as Linux gains more desktop adoption and operating systems such as MeeGo and ChromOS become pre-installed on more netbooks.

Oh, if you would like a bit of irony - when you search the keyword "linux" on the blackboard website you can find instructions for setting up the service on a Linux server... Anyone else know of any other websites the cry "no Linux", but work fine with the penguin anyways?

~Jeff Hoogland
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to XShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest
Posted in firefox, linux, open source, rant | No comments
Newer Post Older Post Home

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Popular Posts

  • Pinguy OS - Distro Review
    My favourite type of distros are Ubuntu based. For some time now I have been making a case for why you should be using Linux Mint. Even thou...
  • HOWTO: Watch Netflix on Bodhi Linux
    Not being able to utilize the Netflix video streaming service has been an issue on the Linux desktop for the past few years. This is due to...
  • Mugen Power Extended Battery N900 - Hands on Review
    A few months back I wrote a post mentioning that I had ordered a Mugen Power battery for my N900 . If you have been by my blog here before...
  • HOWTO: Ubuntu Linux on T101MT
    I wrote a HOWTO for getting Linux working on the T91MT a couple months back and as I mentioned here I ended up changing to the slightly la...
  • Blackboard - No Linux for Online Education
    In addition to being a Linux Advocate and working 40+ hours a week I am also a full time student. Due to schedule constraints I often take ...
  • HOWTO: Test E18, EFL 1.8.0, and Terminology 0.4.0 on Bodhi Linux
    As of this past weekend the testing builds of the Enlightenment window manager DR18 (E18 for short) are in the Bodhi Linux testing repositor...
  • Wine vs Native - 3D Performance Benchmarks
    In the past I've done Wine on Linux versus native Windows 7 benchmarks for 3D applications . Source engine games are some of my favorite...
  • Bigger is Better... Right?
    It appears the mantra of "bigger is better" has gripped developers of the late as the handsets we see keep getting larger and larg...
  • Seven Things to do after Installing Bodhi Linux
    So you've taken the plunge and opted to install Bodhi Linux. Perhaps you read a recent review or one of the screen shots in our gallery ...
  • HOWTO: Bodhi Linux on Genesi Smartbook
    Edit/Update: You can find the latest release here ->  http://www.bodhilinux.com/downloads_mobile.php I mentioned a short while ago that G...

Categories

  • 3g modem
  • adobe
  • android
  • appeal
  • apple
  • arm
  • art
  • asus tablet
  • benchmark
  • bodhi
  • bordeaux
  • cedega
  • chakra
  • chrome os
  • chromebook
  • cockatrice
  • codeweavers
  • comic
  • cricket wireless
  • crysis
  • cxgames
  • debian
  • dell duo
  • diablo3
  • distro review
  • dtf
  • e18
  • eandora
  • eccess
  • elementary
  • elive
  • enlightenment
  • fedora
  • firefox
  • gaming
  • genesi
  • gnome
  • google
  • google chrome
  • google wave
  • handheld device
  • hardware
  • helios
  • howto
  • html5
  • ideapad
  • interview
  • ipad
  • jolicloud
  • kde
  • l4d2
  • laptops
  • lenovo
  • linux
  • lxde
  • macbook
  • math
  • maxima
  • media
  • meego
  • milestone
  • mint
  • mir
  • mk802
  • moblin
  • n900
  • netflix
  • nexus 7
  • nvidia
  • open pandora
  • open source
  • opengl
  • opera
  • operating systems
  • palm
  • phones
  • promotion
  • python
  • qt
  • rant
  • raspberry pi
  • reviews
  • sabayon
  • software
  • source games
  • spotlight
  • sprint
  • starcraft2
  • steam
  • t-mobile
  • tutorial
  • ubuntu
  • unigine
  • unity
  • wayland
  • web application
  • windows
  • windows 7
  • wine
  • wxmaxima
  • xfce

Blog Archive

  • ►  2013 (20)
    • ►  December (1)
    • ►  November (1)
    • ►  September (1)
    • ►  June (1)
    • ►  May (2)
    • ►  March (2)
    • ►  February (3)
    • ►  January (9)
  • ►  2012 (57)
    • ►  December (5)
    • ►  November (4)
    • ►  October (2)
    • ►  September (1)
    • ►  August (4)
    • ►  July (9)
    • ►  June (4)
    • ►  May (4)
    • ►  April (1)
    • ►  March (7)
    • ►  February (6)
    • ►  January (10)
  • ►  2011 (107)
    • ►  December (8)
    • ►  November (8)
    • ►  October (5)
    • ►  September (14)
    • ►  August (9)
    • ►  July (8)
    • ►  June (7)
    • ►  May (10)
    • ►  April (9)
    • ►  March (13)
    • ►  February (9)
    • ►  January (7)
  • ▼  2010 (122)
    • ►  December (10)
    • ►  November (8)
    • ►  October (10)
    • ►  September (14)
    • ►  August (17)
    • ▼  July (10)
      • HOWTO: Starcraft 2 on Linux with Wine
      • Seven Ubuntu Derivatives worth Checking Out
      • Must Have N900 Utility Applications
      • Pinguy OS - Distro Review
      • Blackboard - No Linux for Online Education
      • A New Cycle in the Vinyard - Bordeaux, Crossover, ...
      • HOWTO: Ubuntu Linux on T101MT
      • Linux Hardware - Lets Get Something Straight
      • Four Great Gnome Panel Applets
      • Hackintosh - Apple at a Reasonable Price
    • ►  June (9)
    • ►  May (14)
    • ►  April (8)
    • ►  March (7)
    • ►  February (7)
    • ►  January (8)
  • ►  2009 (27)
    • ►  December (10)
    • ►  November (7)
    • ►  October (10)
Powered by Blogger.

About Me

Unknown
View my complete profile