Comparisons and advocacy

Omar - I took a quick look at what TS School is (and is not). It is freeware but it falls into that category of freeware that provides some basic functionality for free and then charges for the "professional" version so there is a bit of bait and switch going on. I can see that strategy as an effective way of promoting one's software but it is important to note that is not a piece FOSS (Free and Open Source Software). That said, I am always interested in helping Moodle to better integrate with Student Information Systems (SIS) whether those systems be open source or proprietary. Could you provide more information about how TS School might be able to import data? Are there particular aspects that you could see integration work well or being beneficial. I would be happy to make suggestions about how you might be able to do so in your environment. I have been working with some of the OpenSIS folks to help come up with an integration plan. And I believe Matt Oquist has been working with another open source project call School Tool. For me there are three major programs that I would like to see working together. The first two are a Student Information System (SIS) with a Learning Management System (LMS). The third type of system is some like a CRM (Customer Relations Management) for doing development work. I think the more these three programs are able to share data with one another and work in an integrated fashion the more complete a solution it becomes for managing a school. Managing students, managing teachers, handling billing, and keeping in touch with those who make such learning possible. It seems like a complete solution that at this point is a bit of a pipe dream but I am optimistic that the open source community will rise to the challenge. Peace - Anthony