On Thu, 2004-01-15 at 11:13, Manilal wrote:
> Hello everybody,
> The media in Kerala is always keen in attacking Free Sostware
> especially GNU/Linux. Today one of the (mis)leading newspaper, viz
> Malayala Manorama came up with a "striking discovery" about the reason
> why IT at School failed. The author P.Kishore has some very interesting
> findings. The deterioration that caused IT is due to "Swathanthra
> Software".
We need to react to such news as soon as possible. Manorama is not a
newspaper I read, so I did not come across the news. I think those of us
who come across such news should make it a point to immediately react to
it by sending a letter to the Editor of the newspaper. Perhaps, we can
find other places also to take up such issues, but the first response
should be to the newspaper that publishes the report.
> Yesterday also there was a report on Linux but it was not
> directly dealt with "Swathanthra software". He(reporter) has also
> concern about the "Project Shiksha" of Microsoft. Today a half page
> editorial is against Free Software.
Perhaps there could be an official response from the FSF to such
editorials?
> The motivation behind such reports
> is not clear but I believe that it's part of the politics.I think these
> matters have an adverse effect on the public about Swathanthra Software
> especially in the occassion of Stallman's visit and WSF.
I don't think there could be much effect on the visit of RMS or on WSF.
In the long run, the effect could be more on the credibility of the
newspaper!
Regards
--
V. Sasi Kumar <vsasi(a)vsnl.com>
CESS
> Hello everybody,
> The media in Kerala is always keen in attacking Free Sostware
> especially GNU/Linux. Today one of the (mis)leading newspaper, viz
> Malayala Manorama came up with a "striking discovery" about the reason
> why IT at School failed. The author P.Kishore has some very interesting
> findings. The deterioration that caused IT is due to "Swathanthra
> Software". Yesterday also there was a report on Linux but it was not
> directly dealt with "Swathanthra software". He(reporter) has also
> concern about the "Project Shiksha" of Microsoft. Today a half page
> editorial is against Free Software. The motivation behind such reports
> is not clear but I believe that it's part of the politics.I think these
> matters have an adverse effect on the public about Swathanthra Software
> especially in the occassion of Stallman's visit and WSF.
> regards
> Manilal
>
> _______________________________________________
This news is very bad and we all joined to protest this type of writings by a very good replay. I think this is aimed for some political leaders. But it will hurt the good will of Swathanthra Software. If they have any problems in political manner this is not the way to respond it. Kishore find that the reason of failure( is it a failure ?)of IT@School is the coming of linux. And it is introduced by the leader of opposition in political manner. Usually Manorama is fully supported with Microsoft and it always attack Swathanthra Software. It means that they dont like somthing good for society.
The President itself promoting the Swathanthra Software , is Manorama dont know this.
So we all prevent this type of attack in a unique mind.
regards
Manoj
--
______________________________________________
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There would be a fitting response by journalists. Pls await the unfolding of the drama.
CK Raju
--------Original Message
We need to react to such news as soon as possible. Manorama is not a
newspaper I read, so I did not come across the news. I think those of us
who come across such news should make it a point to immediately react to
it by sending a letter to the Editor of the newspaper. Perhaps, we can
find other places also to take up such issues, but the first response
should be to the newspaper that publishes the report.
Kamal Haasan's new movie Virumaandi arguing against capital punishment
is being released for Pongal. Kamal also gave an interview to The Hindu
on this work, that was published yesterday.
Kamal could play the role of RMS in a future Pongal release titled
someting like Puthu Puail - GNU Storm or any title that is more
appropriate. I have a short script for the movie here. The opening
shot zooms and shows my computer screen, showing this this messgage
getting typed and sent to fsf-friends, and the rest of what follows
could be the script for the movie, in true free software traditions.
The story of the free software movement is full of life, struggle,
emotion, dance, fun, frolick, disappointments, agony, pain, success,
glory and every other nuance a movie can capture and portray on screen.
Taking free software to the masses will require such an effort.
Someone recently requested me as follows:-
<quote>
"I found 2 Movie Names On ilugc homepage (On Agenda for the Nov 15th 2003 Meet) . If you have The Copies of Any movies on the freesoftware theme plz send to me. I am belongs to a film club Named Drishti campus film club,Thrissur. We are showing Shortfilms, Documentaries, and Feture films on Social interest in campuses, and youth clubs. We got the charge of "Another World is possible film festival" of kerala social forum (kerala event of WSF http://gnu.org.in/fsfiwsf.html) happening 20th to 24th at thrissur. For this purpose i searched for documentaries on freedom of softwares. but i dont find anything. if you can bring movies on free software theme plz send it to the following address. i will send you the price or send it by VPP"
</quote>
Kamal hardly needs an introduction, but for those who need it, he is a
versatile and talented actor who sets very high standards for himself,
and is someone who can strike 70 different poses in 4 minutes, if that
can convey a sense of measurement of talent. Besides he is a producer,
script writer etc. etc. There is no speedier way to take the story of
RMS and the free software movement to the masses.
Kamal experiments a lot and may not mind researching and trying this.
I don't have Kamal Haasan's email, and his site at
http://www.kamalhaasan.net requires flash macromedia that I have not yet
installed. So if possible, someone who has access to the site may
forward this message to reach Kamal Haasan for a future Pongal release.
Regards,
Ramanraj.
These are few quotes collected from http://faifzilla.org
Members of the tight-knit group called themselves " hackers." Over time,
they extended the "hacker" description to Stallman as well. In the
process of doing so, they inculcated Stallman in the ethical traditions
of the "hacker ethic ." To be a hacker meant more than just writing
programs, Stallman learned. It meant writing the best possible programs.
It meant sitting at a terminal for 36 hours straight if that's what it
took to write the best possible programs. Most importantly, it meant
having access to the best possible machines and the most useful
information at all times. Hackers spoke openly about changing the world
through software, and Stallman learned the instinctual hacker disdain
for any obstacle that prevented a hacker from fulfilling this noble
cause. Chief among these obstacles were poor software, academic
bureaucracy, and selfish behavior.
"I remember many sunrises seen from a car coming back from Chinatown,"
Stallman would recall nostalgically, 15 years after the fact in a speech
at the Swedish Royal Technical Institute. "It was actually a very
beautiful thing to see a sunrise, 'cause that's such a calm time of day.
It's a wonderful time of day to get ready to go to bed. It's so nice to
walk home with the light just brightening and the birds starting to
chirp; you can get a real feeling of gentle satisfaction, of tranquility
about the work that you have done that night."
The way I see it, any being that has power and abuses it deserves to
have that power taken away.
"In India many people are interested in free software, because they see
it as a way to build their computing infrastructure without spending a
lot of money," Stallman says.
"Sometimes I think that perhaps one of the best things I could do with
my life is find a gigantic pile of proprietary software that was a trade
secret, and start handing out copies on a street corner so it wouldn't
be a trade secret any more," said Stallman. "Perhaps that would be a
much more efficient way for me to give people new free software than
actually writing it myself; but everyone is too cowardly to even take
it."
Stallman implored his fellow hackers to resist the lure of easy
compromise.
Microsoft takes on Linux with free tools
Microsoft plans to broaden its attack on Linux and related operating systems by giving away a set of tools for migrating applications to Windows. Microsoft previously charged $99 per client or server to use Services for Unix (SFU), a collection of tools that help Windows systems to work with installations based on the Unix operating system and its open-source derivative, Linux. But the new version, 3.5, will be free for any customer using a current Windows operating system.
More at
http://ct.com.com/click?q=ef-04eYQmko5cTF1BEXZpowAmHKS9RR
Linux: Driving The Next Generation Of E-business Networks
The industry is being rocked by a profound change in computing: how it is used by business and how it is being paid for and accessed. Companies today have to employ open IT tools to stay flexible and adaptive. Those who do so will have an edge over those that are rigid and inflexible.
More at http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=50349
'Porting Applications On Linux Is An Immediate Growth Area'
In the last few years, Cognizant Technology Solutions has developed expertise in Linux and has executed a number of mission-critical applications for its customers across industries such as manufacturing, telecom, retail and financial services.
Excerpts from an interview with Indranil Chakraborty, Cognizant chief consultant and head of research and development can be read at
http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=50351
