Fsf-friends September 2006

fsf-friends@gnu.org.in

28 participants
40 discussions

by Hiran Venugopalan

Today there will be a broadcast on Free software by Sminesh [GEC,Thrissur] at 9.15pm in All India Radio Thrissur. Thanks to C K Raju [DOXA] for information. May the source be with you................ Hiran Venugopalan http://hiran.movingrepublic.org # 09846951870

17 years, 2 months

Re: [FSF-locale] Indian language translations of GNU manifesto and GPL

by Nagarjuna G.

On 9/20/06, klchxbec <klchxbec(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > Hello, > > Is anyone working on translating the GNU manifesto to indian languages ? > If yes, please let me know their email addresses. I want to participate > in this task, at least as far as Hindi language is concerned. > > I know there is a Malayalam translation of the GPL. > Since most people use fsf-friends list, I took the liberty to forward this mail to fsf-friends list. Nagarjuna

17 years, 2 months

Re: Open letter to B&MGF ATLA Re: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Access to Learning Award (ATLA) 2007 (Frederick Noronha)

by Vihan Pandey

Great Reply Fred ! You are an inspiration :-) By the way did Rebecca respond after your reply ? Regards, - vihan

17 years, 2 months

Open letter to B&MGF ATLA Re: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Access to Learning Award (ATLA) 2007

by Frederick Noronha

Dear Rebecca, Thanks for letting me know about this. As you might be aware, I consider myself part of the Free Software movement. As such, I find it unacceptable to work with a fund that made its millions on the premise of the questionable practices of proprietary software. While INASP (the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications) is a great idea and approach, can we afford to forget the need for an International Network for the Availability of Access to Software Products? Would this be acceptable to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which you might argue is separate from Microsoft Corp, but nonetheless made its billions on just the opposite approach? Or do you consider scientific publications to be sharable, but not software? In addition, I really don't believe our planet merely needs a million dollars (or many million dollars) to spur intiiatives forward. Specially when this money was earned at the cost of placing unacceptable blocks on the sharing of software, curbing software freedom, and turning nine out ten computer users into "pirates". In my view too, what we need is talent and skill that looks at the problems and the needs of the many rather than at the luxury and greed of the few. While the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has been claiming to do exactly this, history tells us differently. Is it possible to take the clock back to the pre-Open Letter to Hobbyist Days? See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Letter_to_Hobbyists or http://www.blinkenlights.com/classiccmp/gateswhine.html Or, alternatively can your initiative think of joining the campaigns of the Free Software movement, and its emphasis on the freedom to run, study, copy and improve software? If not, why not? Is it merely because it threatens a business model that helps to concentrate wealth in a phenomenal manner? Am sharing this note with our BytesForAll list. If anyone is interested in taking up your offer, it's upto them. I wouldn't. Thank you anyway for taking the trouble to write though; nothing personal here, but I feel such issues and assumptions need to be debated. FN On 20/09/06, Rebecca Priestley <rpriestley(a)inasp.info> wrote: > > Frederick Noronha > Founder > Bytes For All > > Dear Mr Noronha, > > Firstly, let me introduce myself. I work for INASP (the International > Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications) and one of my > responsibilities is to assist in the coordination of the 2007 Access to > Learning Award, an award given by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It > recognises excellence in providing access to information through computers, > at no cost to the user. The recipient will receive an award of up to US $1 > million. It must be stressed that this is an award for work already > completed or in progress, it is not a grant. > > We are currently contacting our large international network with > information to encourage applications. I am sure many of your contacts may > be eligible. We should be grateful if you could use means at your disposal, > e.g. news item in your bulletin or journal, or links from your website to > inform your community and contacts. > > Please find attached a copy of the ATLA brochure in English and the > application form. Full information (including brochures in relevant > languages, and application form) is also available on our website at > http://www.inasp.info/ldp/awards. I would like to send you > a few hard copies of the brochure too so could you please let me know you > postal address? > > If you think I can help in any other way, please do get in touch with me. > > Best wishes, > > Rebecca > > > > > ----------- > Rebecca Priestley > Programme & Events Officer > International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications > (INASP) > 58 St Aldates, Oxford OX1 1ST, UK > Tel: +44(0)1865 249909 > Fax: +44(0)1865 251060 > Email: rpriestley(a)inasp.info > Skype: rebeccapriestley > Web: http://www.inasp.info > > INASP is a registered UK charity: number 1106349 -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Frederick Noronha http://fn.goa-india.org 9822122436 +91-832-240-9490 http://fredericknoronha.wordpress.com http://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/

17 years, 2 months

Software Freedom Day 06 a grand success

by പ്രവീണ്‍‌|Praveen

Hi, We had a woderful Software Freedom Day in Bangalore and I would like to thank all who helped in making this event a grand success. Also cheers to Hiran, Pavithran and all others who helped make this event a great success not just in bangalore but all over India. "This year they had shortlisted some colleges in Bangalore and our dear > BMSCE was a part of it.But it so happened that the coordinators for our > College backed out from conducting the event in our college thinking that > the response will be bad.And many thanks to Ram , an active member of > FOSS.in, me and my friends Sharadha,Shilpa, Nandini and Ganga took up the > initiative and oragnised the entire thingie in good 6 hours yesterday.Somephone calls and the event was finalised ." > "Yesterday whole night me and my friends were hoping that people will turn > up and make the event a huge success. And it happened !!!" -- Nethravathi B http://netravathib.blogspot.com/2006/09/16th-september-2006-software-freedo… "We reached BMS at around 9:15 AM to see the Audi filled with Praveen, Dilip > and myself only. Ahem… It was 9:30 and lo behold!!! The AUDI was jam packed > with people not having place to sit and extra chairs been roped in. Great!!! > 350 people packed in a 300 capacity audi!! " -- Anjhan aka tuxmaniac http://www.tuxmaniac.com/blog/?p=12 " About 60 people stayed back and we splitted into 4 groups and addressed > their doubts and asked about their interest areas. Me and Dilip took charge > of one group and we had a very interesting discussion. Other three groups > were handled bu Aanjhan, Srikanth and Dinesh. We had to leave the hall only > because they had to close the hall and we left the campus becuase it was > already 1 30 and all of us were started feeling hungry." -- Praveen A [me :-)] http://www.pravi.co.nr/2006/09/16/software-freedom-day/ "Audience participation was good and there were some interesting questions. > ESR's `Cathedral and the Bazaar' came into the discussion and was soon being > twisted out of shape (sample: whether you would like to enter a Cathedral or > a Baazar? Cathedral is more solid, peaceful - but it alienates you; Baazar > is more `inclusive', you become part of it)!" -- Pramod CE http://pramode-ce.livejournal.com/42465.html See more at http://fci.wikia.com/wiki/SFD Also add more info there if you have got. Cheers Praveen -- "Value your freedom, or you will lose it, teaches history. `Don't bother us with politics', respond those who don't want to learn." -- Richard Stallman Me scribbles at http://www.pravi.co.nr

17 years, 2 months

A small exposure to GNU/Linux

by Roshan

This post is sent to three lists (GNU/Linux , FSF-EDU, FSF-FRIENDS) because I wanted to share this experience and also have a small question. I was asked to present a seminar on a topic assigned to me. The seminar topic doesn't have much relevance to this post, but there was something different that I tried. In a way, I have exposed "Free Software, Ubuntu LIVE CD" distro to my classmates and one of my professor. I didn't speak about GNU and Free Software, but I did mention about considering (GNU/Linux) as an alternative to Windows. One mistake I committed, was I being a bit bais to GNU/Linux and pin-pointing _only_ Microsoft to be responsible for proprietary software. The question that I have ask is this. We had a DLP Projector that could not synchronize with the hardware and the display always went out of Range for Ubuntu 6.06. Why?..Doesn't ubuntu run on DLP's? __________________________________________________________ Yahoo! India Answers: Share what you know. Learn something new http://in.answers.yahoo.com/

17 years, 2 months

Kerala to celebrate Free Software Day in Schools

by Vimal Joseph

Dear All, FSF India along with IT@School project, Govt. of Kerala is planning to celebrate "Software Freedom Day 2006" on the 15th and 16th of September. On 15th, the students will be briefed about the importance of "Knowledge Sharing and Community" in the school assembly, and "Software Freedom day" message from Sri. M.A Baby, Education Minister, will also be read out. on 16th, a Digital Painting Competition on "Freedom, Sharing and Community" for students (Exclusively on free software) will be conducted in every school, and selected pictures will be uploaded to a website, the details of which will be notified later. We request the Free software community to participate/help the Software Freedom day celebrations in your nearby school. Also please send us your suggestions/comments and photos/reports of the Software Freedom Day celebrations. in solidarity, ~vimal -- Free Software, Free Society <http://www.gnu.org.in> Download IT@School GNU/Linux from http://www.edugrid.ac.in/webfolder/download/schoolGnu/slgnu.html

17 years, 2 months

Library to celebrate Free And Open Source software

by Frederick Noronha

http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=17185243&BRD=2279&PAG=461&dept_i… Library to celebrate Free And Open Source software 09/13/2006 Software Freedom Day, a global, grassroots effort to educate the public about the virtues and availability of Free and Open Source Software, will offer CDs, demonstrate Open Source products, and increase public awareness of Open Source Software. Products such as Linux, Firefox, OpenOffice.org, NVU, Audacity and the GIMP are showing up on more desktop computers every day. Firefox is a tabbed Internet browser with millions of downloads since its release, the GIMP is a top-notch graphics editing program, NVU is a complete web authoring system, Audacity is a cross-platform audio editing system, OpenOffice.org is a fully integrated office suite, and the list goes on. All these Open Source products are available free. Open Source Software runs many of the world's servers. LAMP, which stands for Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP, is becoming the software of choice for System Administrators and is increasing its market share annually. By 2008, the LAMP market share is expected to be over 37 percent. Locally, Susquehanna County Library and Susquehanna Community Information Network (CIN) websites were developed and are maintained using Joomla! which is a dynamic, state-of-the-art Content Management System (CMS). "As frugal librarians, we love Joomla! because it's free, like all Open Source Software," said Hilary Caws-Elwitt of the Susquehanna County Library. "The best part is that staff members can add content easily to the library's website without needing to know any code. At the CIN, all non-profits and community organizations are encouraged to add content. Plus, Joomla! is flexible and powerful - just as good as software we'd have to pay thousands for!" Free and Open Source Software is freely available from the Internet, or on CDs and DVDs. You can install it on as many computers as you like, copy, or share with friends. Broadband Internet is recommended for downloading. If you do not have broadband at home, go to your local library, download the software, burn it to a CD to take home. As an incentive for participating teams to promote Software Freedom Day, the international sponsor has organized a global competition, offering high performance IBM servers to teams with the best event publicity, documentary, FOSS deployment project, and event. Autographed T-shirts are being offered as prizes to individuals producing the best SFD logo, event photo, blog coverage, and photo of the highest-ranking government official at an SFD event. Information is available at the local website, http://sfd2006.gbztechnology.com, and the global website, http://www.softwarefreedomday.org/. Local team leader William Davies may be reached by calling 865-368-1912 or by registering at the local website. (c)Susquehanna Independent Weekend 2006 -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Frederick Noronha http://fn.goa-india.org 9822122436 +91-832-240-9490 http://fredericknoronha.wordpress.com http://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/

17 years, 2 months

Query from Brazil on Indian Font Support on FreeDOS

by doxa＠sancharnet.in

Message from "Henrique Peron" <hperon(a)terra.com.br> Can anyone help Henri out ? CK Raju =========== I'm Henrique Peron and I'm the one in charge for keyboard layouts (to be used with Aitor Santamaría's KEYB) and codepages for FreeDOS. I'm also a beta tester for Aitor's DISPLAY and Eric Auer's MODE as well as beta tester and character designer for Mateusz Viste's FOXTYPE, which is a program that is able to type UTF-8 Unicode text files (in graphics mode) under FreeDOS. Now, I'm also collaborating with Eduardo Casino (NLSFUNC) and Blair Campbell (menus for the selection of keyboard layouts on FreeDOS installation time). I have always wandered how did Indian computers work with DOS codepage 806 and the respective keyboard layouts for hindi, gujarati, tamil, malayalam, etc. on those days. My intention is to provide the very same support for FreeDOS - unless there's something already done, i.e. some terminate-and-stay resident program which deals with the different alphabets like devanagri, siloti nagri, gurmukhi, gujarati and others and the keyboard layouts, specially the matras - I can't even imagine how the keyboard dealt with the cursor when it had to type matras before, after, over, under and even surrounding letters, as what seems to happen with tamil, telugu, kannada and malayalam on those old IBM/MS-DOS days. Thanks in advance for your attention, have a nice day, Henrique Peron, Brazil ---------------------------------------------------------------- This message was sent using NWebmail, BSNL's Webmail Program

17 years, 2 months

16th Sept 2006: Software Freedom Day Celebrations in Thrissur

by Anivar Aravind

WHAT: Software Freedom Day Celebrations in Thrissur WHERE: Vidya Academy of Science and Technology, Thrissur WHEN: September 16th, 2006 Saturday, 09 AM ABOUT: Software Freedom Day (SFD) is a worldwide celebration of Free Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS). It is aimed at educate the worldwide public about of the benefits of using Free Software in education, in government, at home, and in business WHY: We need to celebrate, meet up with peers, share information, build links and solidarity. HOW: That's for you to decide. So do come! CONTACT: Hiran Venugopalan +91 9846951870 Anivar Aravind +91 9846885539 or mail to: sfd06(a)gaia.org.in FOSSers of Vidya & Global Alternate Information Applications(GAIA) are Celebrating software freedom Day in Thrissur on 16th September 2006, in association with Free Software Users Group Thrissur(FSUG-Thrissur) & Palakkad Libre Users Society (PLUS) as a part of Worldwide celebrations on 16th September 2006 as a part of International day of celebration of software freedom. Free Software Movement is leading freedom struggle in domain of information technology. This movement is fight for the freedom of knowledge and freedom to communicate. As a Part of Software Freedom day Celebration we are Organizing a one Day Seminar and Technical sessions on 16th. The Sessions are Freedom: Software,society &culture : Anivar Aravind The world of Python : Baiju.M Free Hardware: Introduction to Phoenix : Pramode CE, IC softwares Reaching Vidya Academy: Vidya Academy of Science & Technology (VAST) is located at 15th Kilometer on Thrissur-Guruvayoor highway and is easily accessible by public and private transport buses which stop at Kaiparambu. For a Location & route Map see http://tinyurl.com/q5a3f ABOUT ORGANISORS: Fossers of Vidya is a group of Free Software Users & advocates in Vidya Academy of Science & Technology. Free Software Users Group Thrissur (http://fsugtsr.org) is a group of GNU/Linux and Free Software enthusiasts from the cultural capital of Kerala, Thrissur. Palakkad Libre Users Society (PLUS, http://plus.sarovar.org) is Advocating and promoting the use of free software by providing technical assistance related to free software, bringing together free software businesses and free software users, and propagating the message of software freedom in and around the city of Palakkad (Kerala, India) GAIA (Global Alternate Information Applications), Founded in 2004, is a collective space for imaginative reconstruction of public sphere, new/old media practices & research, and critical cultural intervention.

17 years, 2 months

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Fsf-friends September 2006