I agree the teacher's actions were way out of line. Her approach was wrong, and her attitude is closed-minded and bigoted, to say the least. Not the kind of person I'd want teaching MY children.

But one point she makes was this: "No software is free and spreading that misconception is harmful."

Okay, yes, Linux is free to distribute and install. That's fine, I'm cool with that, because the original argument behind it is that operating systems (not software, operating systems) should be free for developers and users. However, a blanket "ALL software should be free" I do not agree with at all.

I work in software development. I like software and computers. I want to make a living doing this work. I can't do that, though, if kids are being taught and shown that software shouldn't cost anything. It DOES cost something. It costs time, both to create and learn how to create it. The money you pay for software is the return that the creators get for it.

There are certainly other forms of free software out there, but there needs to be responsible teaching in classes on the nature of it and why it isn't okay to download licensed products from Torrents. I know even at their worst, Linux supporters don't support piracy of commercial products.