WebMath: Web-based Differential Equations

[Ulrich Kortenkamp]

>>>>> "SH" == Stephen M Hunt <steve at imath.org> writes:

    SH> You can get iMath free at http://www.imath.net.  There is a
    SH> link to a Beginning Algebra course run by Barb Gentry at
    SH> Parkland that illustrates how iMath is being used.

Well, there are a few problems with that. 

You claim that one can get iMath for free. On the web page this is
repeated, but the only thing I can get for free is an "account" --
probably this will enable me to download the software, but there is
no way to find out without providing my email address. On the "More
Information" page there is more information, indeed, the account and
the iMath Communicator (hope you won't get in trouble with
Netscape, see
http://tess.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=doc&state=9hpb2n.6.1 ) are
bundled, but the accompaining license is available only AFTER applying
for the account. 

Another interesting bit of information is under "technology". Quote:

Technology: iMath Communicator is an open source project
       which uses open Web standards. The discussions can be viewed
       in any MathML compliant browser, but the authoring of a Web
       math document currently requires iMath Communicator. iMath
       Communicator is built as a cross-platform application for
       Windows, Macintosh and Unix operating systems. Currently,
       only a Windows version has been released, other versions will
       follow. 

What do you mean by "open source"? In what way is it open? Where can I
download or review it, what is the license for derived software
products? Do you know what "open source" means??? Probably you don't. 

And why do you claim that iMath Communicator is built as a
cross-platform application? What do you mean by that? 

Sorry, you probably have to change some of your business strategies in
order to provide "open math education". I doubt that many
institutions will "affiliate" with a company like yours that claims to
be "open" but is more closed than any other software company I know.

Ulli

PS: If you can prove me wrong, I am happy to see your reply on the
list. Show me the way to the sources, put your license on the web, and
create versions of iMath Communicator that run on other platforms than
Windows.

-- 
Dr. Ulrich Kortenkamp,  Institut für Informatik,  Freie Universität Berlin
Takustr. 9, D-14195 Berlin, Germany * +49-30-83875159, FAX +49-30-83875109
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
 The Interactive Geometry Software Cinderella at http://www.cinderella.de
-----------------------------------------------------------------
WebMath at mail.math.ca - WebMath Mailing List
To unsubscribe:
via Web:     http://camel.math.ca/cgi-bin/wcms/webmath.pl
via e-mail:  send message a to majordomo at mail.math.ca with
"unsubscribe webmath" in the BODY of message
List Archives: http://camel.math.ca/mail/webmath/
-----------------------------------------------------------------