Hi Everybody. This is my first mail to FSF-Friends ml.
I am trying to nerrate an incident which took place
today morning when i was travelling to my college by
my motorcycle.
Situation:
It was a double road, with a partition in the centre.
It was early morning and the weather was really cold.
I could see many young students waiting on the road
side for their school buses to come and some were
waiting for the city corporation bus. All the vehicles
were just flying in a hurry.
----------- x ------------
When i was riding, i suddenly saw a old man with a
bicycle on the middle of the road struggling with lots
of tomatos (it seems he had bought some tomatoes from
the market early morning and taking them to his retail
shop located somewhere in the city). The problem was,
he had 2 huge baskets on both sides of his bicycle and
hence could he could not get off from the cycle
easily(and he was also a short guy). There were lots
of tomatos on the ground, spread. And thank god there
was not much damage (to the tomatoes). By seeing the
poor man struggling to get those tomatoes, i just
parked my motorcycle on the side of the road and i
took tomatoes in my hands and helped to get them to
the baskets. Roughly it was about 150-200 tomatoes.
When i started picking them, one more guy who came
that way started picking and helping. The problem was,
it was a really busy road, and vehicles were just
flying. I thought i should also direct the traffic so
that the other person can continue picking the
tomatoes. I did exactly that, and the whole mess got
cleared in just 8 to 10 minutes. The tomato guy
thanked me and the other person *whole-heartedly*.
Then i started my journey to the college.
Moral of My Blog:
------------------
I would like to associate the incident with the Free
Software movement or the idea of free s/w.
The first thing is, the tomato guy is now way
connected with me (ofcourse he is not my boss or i am
not a boss to him) and i'v never seen him before, in
simple words, a stranger. But what made me to help
him????
The following could be the reasons.....
1. The tomato guy was an obstacle to the traffic and i
thought of helping the traffic to get cleared
2. I am really a soft hearted and could not see the
preson struggling on the middle of the road, hence i
helped.
3. It's my duty to help the one who is struggling...
4. or just thought of helping... thats all
etc......
Well, in all the above said, one word stood still like
concrete, that is *helping*.
Ok. What do i get, by doing so?
My Answer :- Peace of mind.... and self-satisfaction..
or what ever one may call this as
As we see the above lines, there is no word like Money
or Rupee or Cost or Price or dollar or ......
Can this be associated with free s/w??
My Answer: Yes.
How ?
Ans: It is not that you should help your neighbour
alone... but you (and we) can also help strangers...I
hope Free Software does exactly that...
Why am i making a blog like this ??
Ans. That again sharing my thoughts and hence
*Freedom* to share thoughts..... :)
PS: There were many people on the road side waiting
for bus to come. But no one can blame them for not
helping the poor guy. B'cause, they will be under
trouble if they miss their bus.
Cheeeers
Vishravars.R
__________________________________
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Apologies if this has been noticed on this list.
----- Forwarded message from Ram <prabhuram ( at ) gmail.com> -----
> Norms for software patents to be finalised
>
> Business Standard
>
>
> The government will finalise detailed guidelines for patent examiners
> over the next one month specifying the conditions under which
> software, polymers and other chemicals can be patented.
>
> "There is a general notion that software can be patented. That is not
> true. You cannot patent software. However software embedded in
> hardware can be patented. All such issues are sought to be clarified
> through these working guidelines for the patent examiners which will
> be put up on the web once they have been finalised," an official told
> Business Standard.
>
> Officials said that the first draft had been prepared and was being
> discussed by the ministry officials with legal experts and industry
> representatives. The guidelines would be finalised in the next one
> month.
>
> The government has already hired 175 patent examiners to deal with the
> load of patent applications. The modernisation of patent offices is
> underway and the new patent office in the capital will be inaugrated
> next month.
>
> Along with patent, work on the other areas of intellectual property
> like Geographical indicators (GI) is also picking up pace. The
> government has granted GI on six products including chanderi sarees
> and Darjeeling tea and is considering proposal to grant GI on 30 other
> items, officials said.
>
> Earlier today Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said that the
> new modernised product patent regime will help attract more foreign
> direct investment and make India a new destination for contract
> manufacturing and contract research.
>
> "The modernised patent law is expected to provide a secure and
> conducive environment to investments. India could be new destination
> for contract manufacturing and contract research since India has cost
> and capabilities advantages," Nath said in his address to the National
> Seminar on Promotion, Protection and Enforcement of Intellectual
> Property Rights organised by his ministry in association with the
> World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and Ficci.
>
> The minister, whose speech was read out in his absence, said that the
> government had undertaken an ambitious programme to modernise the
> intellectual property rights administrative infrastructure with a view
> to making the system efficient, IT-enabled and more user-friendly
> _______________________________________________
> commons-law mailing list
> commons-law ( at ) sarai.net
> https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/commons-law
----- End forwarded message -----
--
Mahesh T. Pai <<>> http://paivakil.port5.com
Buy Free Software -- It gives you freedom!
Sayamindu Dasgupta of Kolkata recently told me that they run a blogging service
for FLOSS enthusiasts in India at
http://blogs.randomink.org/
If you have a point to make regarding the world of FLOSS (Free/Libre and Open
Source Software) and would like to do so via a blog, go and claim space of your
own there. It's free!
FN
Hi all,
I came across this interesting article about becoming a
Debian GNU/Linux developer. [I got this from Debian Livejournal
Community http://www.livejournal.com/community/debian ]
______________________________________________________________________
Yet, despite the obstacles, for many, becoming a developer is the
ultimate goal. Asked their motivations, candidates start by talking
about a wish to contribute and to assume greater responsibility.
When pressed, though, many add that they also desire the status of the
position. The status lies not just the cool factor of having a Debian
email address -- although several privately admit, half-jokingly, to
lusting after one -- but a belief that only developers are taken
seriously within the Debian project. Those who want to advocate policy
change or to become a Debian officer often feel that becoming a
developer is a necessary first step.
One way or the other, most would probably agree with Matthew Palmer,
one of more than 50 Application Managers who help to process
candidates, that being a Debian developer is a "mark of honour."
Read full story
http://distrocenter.linux.com/article.pl?sid=05/02/02/2312203
Regards
Praveen A
--
"There is no system but GNU, and Linux is one of its kernels."
A proud GNU user
http://www.gnu.orghttp://www.edathanattukara.com
My Weblog at http://www.livejournal.com/users/pravi
Visit me at http://www.pravi.tk
Rediscover the web ! Get firefox at http://www.getfirefox.com
Please avoid sending me Word or PowerPoint attachments
See http://www.fsf.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRC: THE 'EXCHANGE' FOR IDEAS ON FREE SOFTWARE PROJECTS
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Young minds are like potters clay... they mould the way mentors work on
them. Are you a student searching for some interesting projets in
GNU/Linux? Are you an expert who would like to share your skills with
youngsters looking for ideas? If yes, then please give a serious thought to
joining the Project Resource Centre network.
PRC's operations are currently focussed around its mailing list. (To join
visit http://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/prc )
The PRC was set up by Trevor Warren <trevor.w(a)media.mit.edu> of Mumbai,
India. It is open to anyone in any part of the globe, though we would like
to primarily focus on initiatives within India. We specially welcome
mentors from anywhere in the globe, who would like to share their knowledge
with promising youngsters from here.
Any member of PRC is welcome to post to the list. Subject to:
o Please keep all posts on-topic and related to the intentions for which
this initiative was set up (helping youngsters take on socially relevant,
challenging and useful projects).
o Post messages that would be of wider interest to the entire group. If
you message is meant just for 3-4 persons, it could be taken offline. o
Mentors are specially requested to post those messages that would (i) point
to wider spheres in which a lot of work needs to be done (ii) post general
hints that could give students the starting push
This list works on the principles of Free/Libre and Open Source Software.
Everyone is welcome to join, in the capacity you think best. All work is
volunteer-based. Thank you for your support.
Below is a brief explanation of the concept, from Trevor Warren: "Having
been with the Free Software Community for such a long time there a lot i
like about it and a lot I would like to see done about... The Project
Resource Centre is a non-profit organisation that has been an effort
kickstarted by the GNU/Linux users group of Mumbai... The people
affialiated with us are those who can take time out to guide students on
their way towards taking on and performing GNU/Linux based projects frm the
stage of conception to delivery."
We would like to appreciate the work of Himanshu Shukla
(www.thefreespeech.org) for being instrumental in sparking off the course
towards setting up the PRC. Dr G Nagarjuna has been an inspiring force. We
have got enthusiastic support from Sarai.Net in Delhi, which hosts our
lists and is also working on a micro-grants to support Free Software
initiatives among students. Also thanks to Dinesh Shah, Shankar
Ramachandran, and the many others who have helped this concept along the
way. [Please include the names of others here.]
Says Trevor: "From my vision i want to get the PRC to be a platform where
in mentors-students democratically take up projects nd work together
towards delivering on GNU/Linux and other Free Software projects that they
might hav in mind." CopyLeft 2003, Frederick Noronha for the GNU/PRC
mailing list.
|------|____________________________________|------|
( >- / Scaling FreeSoftware & OpenSource \ -< )
/~\ / In the Enterprise \ /~\
| \) \ | www.fsf.org | www.opensource.org | / (/ |
|_|_ \____________________________________/ _|_|
http://source.bellanet.org/mailman/listinfo/floss-app-asia
'Floss-app-asia' online discussion forum has been launched to study the
efficacies of Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS) in Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) for development and fulfillment of Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) charted out by the UN. The forum is part of the UNDP's
applied research and policy initiative on the usage of ICT for eradication of
poverty project undertaken by the i4donline group.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Frederick Noronha (FN) Nr Convent Saligao 403511 GoaIndia
Freelance Journalist P: 832-2409490 M: 9822122436
http://fn.swiki.nethttp://fn-floss.notlong.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Where the needs of the world and your talents cross, there lies your
vocation. --Aristotle
http://infotech.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1023943.cms
Computer programme patenting may brake IT boom
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2005 06:17:58 PM]
NEW DELHI: Imagine a scenario where a music composer is prevented from
being inspired by another musician. He has to start from scratch and give
an entirely new definition to music. Unimaginable, isn't it? Now replace
'music' with 'software' and this is what the Indian government is seeking
to do. Or so some critics argue.
The amendments to the Indian Patent Act introduced by a recent Ordinance
will allow all computer programmes to be patented. The Indian Patent Act,
as modified in 2002, had made "a mathematical method or a business method
or a computer programme per se or algorithms" non-patentable.
However, the recent amendment changes this phrase defining what cannot be
patented to "a computer programme per se other than its technical
application to industry or a combination with hardware, a mathematical or
business method or algorithms."
Since any commercial software has some industry application and these
applications are technical in nature, it opens virtually all software to
patenting, say the critics of the move.
As a booming software nation, can India afford to take such a step
without harming interests of the industry? These were concerns expressed
at a press conference organised by the Delhi Science Forum on Tuesday.
The US and Japan, they said, are two countries that have provided for
patent protection in software, which has adversely impacted smaller
developers. European Parliament has been forced to defer software
patenting in the wake of widespread opposition to such a move.
A patent in the case of software grants monopoly control over not just
the 'expression' of a function or idea in computer code, which could be
covered by copyright, but over the very idea itself.
Thus, software would be covered by both copyright and patents, perhaps the
only instance of a product being underpinned by both. Richard Stallman,
co-developer of the GNU-Linux operating system and proponent of free
software says, "Since software patents cover software ideas, it makes them
a dangerous obstacle to all software development."
An example is Amazon's singleclick agreement. Amazon.com was granted a
patent on a system that remembers customer credit card data from visit to
visit, so that customers could, on all visits after their first, simply
order products and then click once to buy them using a stored credit card
number.
After two rounds of litigation, this patent was upheld and Amazon was able
to prevent its chief competitor, barnesandnoble.com, from using a similar
system.
The main argument against software patenting is that it will kill
innovations, by leaving small firms or software developers liable for
patent infringements. "That's like saying, be the greatest genius in
history or don't even try", said Stallman.
Small developers will always be fighting with their backs to the wall as
they would not have the financial muscle to compete with dominant players
in the market.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Frederick Noronha (FN) Nr Convent Saligao 403511 GoaIndia
Freelance Journalist P: 832-2409490 M: 9822122436
http://fn.swiki.nethttp://fn-floss.notlong.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Where the needs of the world and your talents cross, there lies your
vocation. --Aristotle
What is Resty? (A made-in-Mumbai solution from Mitul Limbani)
Resty is a Web Application Framework distributed under the terms of the GNU
General Public License by Enterux. Please check out the documentation to find
out more about Resty.
FORWARDED VIA:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Frederick Noronha (FN) Nr Convent Saligao 403511 GoaIndia
Freelance Journalist P: 832-2409490 M: 9822122436
http://fn.swiki.nethttp://fn-floss.notlong.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Where the needs of the world and your talents cross, there lies your
vocation. --Aristotle
Hi RMS,
PSG-GNU/Linux Club is now registered as GNU Users Groups. This group
alone has 300 members.
India now has the highest number of GNU Users Groups registered and
this list is growing.
Here is the list:
( 1) Coimbatore GNU/Linux Users Group
( 2) DGLUG - Dehradun GNU/Linux User Group
( 3) GNU/Linux Fanatics' Group (Howrah, West Bengal)
( 4) GNU/Linux Users Group, Nilgiris
( 5) GNU/Linux Users Group, Bombay
( 6) Nixal - The GNU/Linux user group of Netaji Subhash Engineering
College, Kolkata
( 7) North Mumbai GNU/Linux User Group
( 8) Pune GNU/Linux Users' Group
( 9) Trichy GNU/Linux User Group
(10) GNU/Linux User Group Howrah Chapter
(11) GNU/Linux User Group (GLUG) of Madurai
(12) GNU/Linux User Group of Kolhapur
(13) PSG GNU/Linux Club
--
Anand Babu
Free as in Freedom <www.gnu.org>
--- [Forwarded Message] ---
From: Damodharan R <rdamodharan(a)gmail.com>
To: Anand Babu <ab(a)gnu.org.in>
Subject: Re: [Nagarjuna G.] [FSF India Board] Fwd: FSF Coimbatore Chapter
In-Reply-To: <87sm3wsgfy.fsf(a)gnu.org.in>
References: <87sm3wsgfy.fsf(a)gnu.org.in>
Dear Sir,
We were happy to receive your acknowledgement. We have registered our
club with GNU Users Group.
Now it is listed in that User Groups Page.
Looking forward for your guidance and cooperation,
With Regards,
Damodharan
PSG-GNU/Linux Club
On Wed, 16 Feb 2005 06:54:57 -0800, Anand Babu <ab(a)gnu.org.in> wrote:
> Dear Damodharan,
> Can you please register your PSG GNU/Linux User Group with
> GNU Users Group at http://www.gnu.org/gnu/gnu-user-groups.html
>
> Thanks
> -- Anand Babu
>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: "Nagarjuna G." <nagarjun(a)gnowledge.org>
> To: fsf-board(a)mm.gnu.org.in
> Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2005 11:46:34 +0530
> Subject: [FSF India Board] Fwd: FSF Coimbatore Chapter
>
>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Damodharan R <rdamodharan(a)gmail.com>
> To: gnu(a)gnu.org.in
> Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2005 13:36:53 +0530
> Subject: FSF Coimbatore Chapter
> Dear Sir,
> Greetings
> The PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore has a GNU/Linux Club with
> more than 300 members of various institutions and industries actively
> participating in various Free Software Development activities.
> We would like to form a FSF Coimbatore Chapter.
> Kindly inform us the modalities we should undergo in establishing the same.
>
> With Kind Regards
> Damodharan R
> Advisor, PSG GNU/Linux Club
>
>
>
>
> --
> Anand Babu
> Free as in Freedom <www.gnu.org>