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

[Mahesh T. Pai]

CK Raju said on Sun, Jun 10, 2007 at 08:05:49AM +0530,:

> Govt is not autonomous in such contexts.

Agree with you here.

> We cannot romanticise democracy and keep us shut from such
> actions. Cant we agree here?   

Sure, yes, again.

My point is:-

1. As a user of free software, the govt is free choose the person from
   whom it wants to buy free sotware.

2. The procedure the govt choose while entering into the contract with
   RH is the same it adopted while entering to the initial IT at SCHOOL
   contract with M$ (and Intel).

3. The procedure the govt choose while entering into the contract with
   M$ is the same it adopted while entering to the initial contract
   for providing the IT at SCHOOL GNU/Linux CD  with FSF India (or
   space-kerala). 

There are  provisions in the rules  enabling such out  of the ordinary
procedures  for   contractual  procurement  -  only   when  there  are
extrordinary  circumstances; and  the extra  ordinary  circumstance is
that nobody else provides commercial support for free software. 
   
Oppose one on procedural grounds ALONE, and all contracts have to go.

The M$ contract  was opposed on the ground of bad  content; not on the
grounds of  defects in  the manner in  which the contract  was entered
into.   True, deficiencies  in  the contract  formation procedure  was
pointed out, but  that was NOT the only ground  on which that contract
was opposed.

Do  you have  any reason  to oppose  the RH  contract, apart  from the
complaint about  the procedure / process followed  while entering into
the contract?  Please be specific, and  please do tell us how this MoU
is harmful to FREE SOFTWARE -  while I have all sympathies for them, I
do not want to hear about  the ``pain and hurt'' (or any such feelings
of the volunteers.

People who have volunteered for  IT at SCHOOL are not the only members of
the free  software community. (Even  I have been involved  in training
the  teachers in  the  initial  stages of  the  IT at SCHOOl proejct,  (a
presentation  is out there  somewhere) and  later did  not want  to be
actively  involved, because  VOLUNTEERING when  commercial  support is
required, confuses free masala dosa and free software.)
   
-- 
 Mahesh T. Pai <<>> http://paivakil.blogspot.com/
TRUTH,  n.   An   ingenious  compound  of  desirability  and
  appearance.   Discovery of  truth is  the sole  purpose of
  philosophy, which  is the  most ancient occupation  of the
  human  mind  and has  a  fair  prospect  of existing  with
  increasing activity to the end of time.