[Debian-in-workers] Red Hat signs MoU with Kerala govt

[Mahesh T. Pai]

Anivar Aravind said on Fri, Jun 08, 2007 at 12:27:46AM +0530,:

 > > Apart from Arun's ``I say so'', what are these statistics based on?
 > 
 > http://www.hindu.com/2006/05/08/stories/2006050811430400.htm

I am very much afraid that this article, or Biju Prabhakar's views do
not reflect the ground realities.

(That article coincides with the day my kid was born, so I believe I
missed it).

The next question is probably off topic for this list and thread - the
URL says that the FSF India  created the CD for IT at SCHOOL project; but
my understanding is that space-kerala.org is doing it. Which is true?

 > You are still Talking about Rollout.
 > It is already Happened  man
 > You are still lagging 2 years

Oh well. I withdraw the word ``roll out''. Substitute it with the
phrase ``process of deleting proprietary OSes from computers in
schools''.

One week into the academic year, it (deleting non-free OS from school
computers) is yet to happen.

That is the info I have from 2 educational districts in Ernakulam.

 > BTW Did u seen
 > http://support.space-kerala.org/wiki/index.php/School_GNU_Linux_FAQ
 > And
 > http://support.space-kerala.org/wiki/index.php/School_GNU_Linux_Tips
 > Before making authoritative comments?

Which still does not answer my question -- ``where does the government
say that it is using free software in the IT at SCHOOL project?''

 > we are Talking about a Free Society strengthened by Free Software.So why
 > Fears Community In This? I am Representing the interest of various
 > volunteers who worked to spread this Movement forward. One day one Giant
 > comes in undemocratic manner in a secretive way to take the fruit


 
 > cultivated by the community. And Mahesh , Now I need to ask you
 > What is Your interests in Protecting the MoU.

Some years  back, a government  agency started packaging a  version of
GNU Linux for the IT at SCHOOL project. One fine morning, it was splashed
all over the Malayalam language news papers that IT at SCHOOL is going to
violating  some ``intellectual property''  if it  goes ahead  with the
proposed CD.

There  was a big  song and  dance by  so many  so many  of ``community
leaders''  about  IT at SCHOOL violating  the  sanctity  of rights.   The
community,  instead  of  helping  the  government agency  to  fix  the
problems took  care to  give that project  (and the  government agency
behind it) a bad name.

Few months later,  IT at SCHOOL gave the contract to  building the cd for
IT at SCHOOL to the community.

This  happened a  few  months  before you  became  involved with  Free
Software (at least, actively on the internet).

That scenario is repeating now. Probably there is something wrong with
the  MoU (I cannot  identify it  yet). And  the community,  instead of
working the persons involved, is  giving the MoU a bad name. Probably,
the  community  wants  to  retain  the contracts  from  the  IT at SCHOOL
project?

 > Source Of Funding:))) HA HA HAA . Can u Say my source of funding? You
 > seems to be still in the mountains of misconceptions
 > 
 > And which is My Project U mensioned?
 > I am not related with any Funded Project on Localisation or IT @ school
 > or Free Software yet. From the context I assume You are talking about SMC
 > 
 > Swathanthra Malayalam computing is a Transparent Project which is
 > Completely volunteer Driven .I'm Cc'ing smc-discuss list too..

Quite fine  with me  if you do  not take  any mone from  the IT at SCHOOL
project  directly. That means,  on government's  records, you  are not
involved  with the  project.  Therefore,  the government  is perfectly
justified is not consulting you before entering into the MoU.

And  by  `you'  in  the   above  preceding  paragraph,  I  mean  ``any
volunteer'' not just Anivar Aravind.

That is why  I repeatedly say, do not work for  the government free of
cost. Do  any work free of cost  for the government free  of cost, and
you  can be  assured that  it will  go down  the town/village/district
drain.

Free software is not free masala dosa.

 > This is a usual problem for people thinking in Terms of Market &
 > Money than Social Means of work. We work for Free Software &
 > language Computing Mainly Because of Thinking Social Benefits of
 > It. The social cause is the motivating factor here. Not Money. We
 > know that people will support us too if we can address the social
 > needs.

Anivar, I know that you do not care much about money. But, do not deny
that you were involved with the space-kerala.org / FSF India. When you
criticise  actions by the  government [apparently]  in favour  of Free
software, but against the existing interests which support the present
day  activities of  the governments,  I will  need to  scrutinise your
claims very closely.

If you  have not been  financially involved with  the space-kerala.org
and  /  or FSF  India,  I  apologise about  the  money  part, else  my
statements stand.
 
-- 
 Mahesh T. Pai <<>> http://paivakil.blogspot.com/
Netiquette Guidelines ==>> http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1855