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Kerala school training material
by Raj Mathur 14 Oct '09

14 Oct '09

Hi, Can someone point me to a comprehensive collection of materials used for training in Free Software in schools in Kerala? Any and all of these would be appreciated: - Teachers' training material - Teachers' training curricula and time frames - Ditto for the Train the Trainers programme - School curricula on and using FS - Accompanying textbooks, training guides, etc. Anything else that is available apart from this would be great. Thanks, -- Raju -- Raj Mathur raju(a)kandalaya.org http://kandalaya.org/ GPG: 78D4 FC67 367F 40E2 0DD5 0FEF C968 D0EF CC68 D17F PsyTrance & Chill: http://schizoid.in/ || It is the mind that moves

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An Appeal: Flood Relief Fund
by Vikram Vincent 12 Oct '09

12 Oct '09

Free Software Movement - Karnataka An Appeal: Flood Relief Fund Dear friends, Karnataka has been reeling under floods of an unprecedented nature leading to large-scale death and destruction. This is a situation which was unforeseen and many districts of North Karnataka are totally submerged and lakhs of people are marooned without food or relief. About 15 districts have been submerged and more than 6 lakhs people have become homeless. Estimated damages are to the tune of Rs. 25,000 crore. The Government machinery is doing its bit, but the sheer magnitude of the calamity makes it almost impossible for it to be handled by the Government alone. There is no assessment of the actual loss of lives and property as many areas are still inaccessible. The threat of epidemics is also something that looms large in such circumstances. It becomes the duty of all patriotic citizens to rise to the occasion and assist in such relief efforts. Free Software Movement-Karnataka is organizing collection of relief for the flood victims in an effort to provide succour to the suffering. A Relief Team will leave to North Karnataka in the Third week of October and along with the Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti disburse relief in the affected areas. We request you to contribute generously in this endeavor so that we can share their suffering and mitigate it to some extent. Our volunteers will be approaching you individually for your contributions and also seek your support to meet concerned officials in your establishment to make it a meaningful effort. Any such donations through DD/cheque, in the name of 'Free Software Movement Karnataka' may please be sent to us. FSMK issues receipts for the same. In anticipation of your support and cooperation, Thanking You, Sd/- Senthil, Convenor, FSM-Karnataka. M:9900262828, 9448810822, 9448163453 http://fsmk.org

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Fwd: Petition to Cancel Proprietary Tender by NIC given to CJI and DG NIC
by Vikram Vincent 06 Oct '09

06 Oct '09

--------- Forwarded message ---------- From: kiranchandra <kiran(a)swecha.net> Date: Wed, Sep 30, 2009 at 8:35 PM Subject: Petition to Cancel Proprietary Tender by NIC given to CJI and DG NIC For Publication Eminent personalities including Justice V R Krisha Iyer (former Supreme court judge) and Dr. Pushpa M Bhargava (former Vice Chairman National Knowledge Commission) have called upon the National Informatics Centre (NIC) to cancel its tender (Ref. No: NIC/TPS/2009/18) form purchase of laptops with preloaded software for the Supreme Court of India. They were part of those who have signed an online petition, which was launched on 24-09-09, opposing this proprietary tender. Justice V R Krisha Iyer in his comment termed this tender reactionary and has pleaded with the Prime Minister to intervene in the name of access to Freedom of Information and Free and Open Source Software. Sixteen organisations (http://www.swecha.org/wiki/index.php?title=Petition) and 370 individuals (http://swecha.org/node/23/signatures) have signed the petition. The petition has also been sent to the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India Shri K G Balakrishnan and the Direcetor General of NIC Dr. B K Gairola. There is confirmation from the respective offices that the petition has been received. The tender relates to purchase of proprietary brands of laptops (Apple laptops) and the software installed (Windows XP) in it. Any fair tendering practice should allow competition and only give system specifications. In this tender, the only brand name given is Apple and only operating system given is Windows XP from Microsoft. This makes the tender a single source tender and is clearly anti-competitive since there is wide choice of hardware, software and operating systems in the market. Therefore, this is not a single vendor situation and no exception should be considered on this count. Moreover, the above mentioned tender is for laptops to be used by the Supreme Court of India. As the supreme judicial body of the country, the Court must set a proper precedent and not allow such unfair tendering practice. The tender also goes against stated government policy of encouraging free and open source softeware, and open standards. The National Knowledge Commission in its report on e-governance submitted to the Prime Minister stated, “Because of the enormous size and scope of the E-governance effort in India and because of the availability of globally recognized software talent of Indians,we must actively encourage open source software implementations and open standards wherever possible.” The Department of Information Technology, in its Elevent Five Year Plan (2007-2012) has remarked that, “If computer adoption has to reach from current 1% of population to say 5% in next five years, we have to seriously pursue some other route, viz., that of Free/Open Source Software (FOSS).” The current tender’s preference for proprietary suppliers will encourage vendor lock-in as their data and files can be read by only their software. Such a step by the Supreme Court would set the clock back in the country, where increasingly Government organisations and others are turning to Free and Open Source Software. In this context, it might be noted that Allahabad High Court has already successfully converted to FOSS and Open Standards (http://www.allahabadhighcourt.in/faq.htm) Institutions like NIC under the Ministry of Information and Technology have to ensure the adoption of software that complies with open standards. It was therefore demanded that the current tender should be scrapped forthwith and a new tendering process be initiated without naming any brands and incorporating Free and Open Source Software. Organisations & Important Persons endorsing the petition (Web link : http://www.swecha.org/wiki/index.php?title=Petition ) * Justice V.R.Krishna Iyer's comments "The present move by NIC is reactionary. I feel there is much substance in the points made in the petition and plead with the Prime Minister to intervene in the name of access to Freedom of Information and Free and Open Source Software". * Former Vice Chairman of the National Knowledge Commission Pushpa M Bhargava's comments "I am all in for free and open source software" * Swecha (http://swecha.org/) * Democratic Alliance for Knowledge Freedom (DAKF) * Appropriate Technology Promotion Society (ATPS), Kochi (http://www.atps.in/) * Free Software Industries Association (FSIA), Kerala (http://www.fsia.in/) * Open Software Solutions Industrial Co-operative Society (OSSICS), Kochi (http://www.ossics.com/) * Free Software Foundation, Tamil Nadu (FSFTN) * IT for Change, Bangalore * Knowledge Commons, New Delhi * Free Software Movement Karnataka (http://fsmk.org/) * Linux User Group @ IIT Delhi (http://www.lug-iitd.org/) * Centre for Internet and Society (http://www.cis-india.org/) * Free Software Foundation of India (http://www.gnu.org.in/) * IIT Madras Linux Users Group (http://iitmlug.a.wiki-site.com/) * Linux Campus Club SJCE Mysore (http://www.lccsjce.org/) * [Free Software Movement West Bengal] * Linux Users' Group, NITK Surathkal Yours Sincerely Y.Kiran Chandra Chairman (Swecha) (On behalf of the endorsing individuals and organisations)

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[ANN][X-Post] SciPy India conference in Dec. 2009
by Kadambari Devarajan 05 Oct '09

05 Oct '09

Greetings, The first "Scientific Computing with Python" conference in India ( http://scipy.in) will be held from December 12th to 17th, 2009 at the Technopark in Trivandrum, Kerala, India (http://www.technopark.org/). The theme of the conference will be "Scientific Python in Action" with respect to application and teaching. We are pleased to have Travis Oliphant, the creator and lead developer of numpy (http://numpy.scipy.org) as the keynote speaker. Here is a rough schedule of the conference: Sat. Dec. 12 (conference) Sun. Dec. 13 (conference) Mon. Dec. 14 (tutorials) Tues. Dec. 15 (tutorials) Wed. Dec. 16 (sprint) Thu. Dec. 17 (sprint) The tutorial sessions will have two tracks, one specifically for teachers and one for the general public. There are no registration fees. Please register at: http://scipy.in The call for papers will be announced soon. This conference is organized by the FOSSEE project (http://fossee.in) funded by the Ministry of Human Resources and Development's National Mission on Education (NME) through Information and CommunicationTechnology (ICT) jointly with SPACE-Kerala (http://www.space-kerala.org). Regards, Kadambari Devarajan. -- Check out my blog at http://kadambarid.livejournal.com

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Tender to Setup a State Data Center And Some Questions [x-posting]
by Sebin Jacob 05 Oct '09

05 Oct '09

Is it that, implementations of technology are reserved for mega corporates? The Govt. of Kerala's tender notice to setup a data center facilitating e-governance has raised some eyebrows. Here is Kenney Jacob's apprehensions on it. Tender to Setup a State Data Center And Some Questions<http://www.kenneyjacob.com/2009/10/03/tender-to-setup-a-state-data-center-a…>regards, Sebin -- Understanding is a three-edged sword: your side, their side, and the truth

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US Visa application not possible if you use free software!
by Nagarjuna G. 02 Oct '09

02 Oct '09

US Visa application not possible if you use free software! Read my protest, and letter to the US ambassador. http://gnowgi.org/ -- Nagarjuna G. http://www.gnowledge.org/

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Check out my photos on Facebook
by Siva Kumar Epari 30 Sep '09

30 Sep '09

Hi fsf-friends(a)mm.gnu.org.in, I set up a Facebook profile where I can post my pictures, videos and events and I want to add you as a friend so you can see it. First, you need to join Facebook! Once you join, you can also create your own profile. Thanks, Siva To sign up for Facebook, follow the link below: http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=821098587&k=S4D3PVRSRT6E2EFGQCZ42USVWWJK6X2… fsf-friends(a)mm.gnu.org.in was invited to join Facebook by Siva Kumar Epari. If you do not wish to receive this type of email from Facebook in the future, please click on the link below to unsubscribe. http://www.facebook.com/o.php?k=6c5737&u=1247270151&mid=12d0f04G4a57d507G0G8 Facebook's offices are located at 1601 S. California Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94304.

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NEWS: RMS comes under attack again
by Frederick Noronha [फ़रेदरिक नोरो नया] فريدريك نورونيا 27 Sep '09

27 Sep '09

http://www.itwire.com/content/view/27980/1090/ RMS comes under attack again by Sam Varghese Thursday, 24 September 2009 It appears to be open season for launching attacks on the head of the Free Software Foundation, Richard Matthew Stallman, the man who is in large measure responsible for the status that free and open source software enjoys today. Featured Whitepaper Legacy Tools: Not For Today’s Helpdesk The latest attack on Stallman is a lengthy post by ZDNet blogger Jason Perlow and is based on remarks that Stallman is said to have made during the Free Software Day celebrations in Boston. There is no audio or video file of the remarks, just the one blog post by Ubuntu developer and Ubuntu evangelist Martin Owens whom Perlow quotes. The relevant portion of Owens' blog post which Perlow uses as the basis for his attack is the claim that Stallman called Miguel de Icaza, the current vice-president of Novell, a traitor to the free software community. I asked the FSF for a transcript of Stallman's remarks; this was the reply I got from operations manager John Sullivan: "His talk was primarily answering questions, so there's no draft or transcript. I can't confirm those comments as a whole, but if you want to ask about specific ones I will do my best." Let's assume that Stallman did make the remarks. Is he mischaracterising de Icaza's current position? The short answer is no. The software activities that de Icaza is involved in right now serve the ends of Microsoft. Read about it here. And here. The one thing that amazes me about Perlow's post is that he has made no mention of de Icaza's current billet at Novell, the company that signed a patent licensing deal with Microsoft, a deal that sold out the entire FOSS community, and made Novell some kind of a pariah. Add to that his tendency to tell half the story to build his argument and you have a classic case of spreading fear, uncertainty and doubt. Page 2 and 3 http://www.itwire.com/content/view/27980/1090/1/1/ http://www.itwire.com/content/view/27980/1090/1/2/ Miguel snuggles closer to Microsoft http://www.itwire.com/content/view/27785/1090/ CodePlex Foundation will help spread use of Mono http://www.itwire.com/content/view/27941/1090/ -- FN +91-9822122436 P +91-832-2409490 Updated: http://goabooks.wordpress.com

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Re: [Fsf-friends] Free software best suited for UI card project (Vivek Varghese Cherian)
by Roopesh P Raj 26 Sep '09

26 Sep '09

Hi Cherian, I would invite your attention to RMS' blog : http://www.fsf.org/blogs/rms/rms-entry-20041128/view?searchterm=PDVSA RMS' words : *[I spent a week in Venezuela, giving a speech and some interviews at an event which invited speakers from all across Latin America. During the event, the state oil company PDVSA announced its decision to switch 100% to free software. Their decision is not based on convenience or cost; it is based on sovereignty. Their computers used to be handled by a US company, SAIC. When opponents of President Chavez tried to drive him from office by shutting down oil protection, the US government helped out by telling SAIC to prevent them from using their computers. PDVSA therefore knows from experience that using non-free software means you are at the mercy of the developers, and has decided to solve the problem for good and all.*] Now I invite your attention to another an RMS interview : http://www.itnews.com.au/News/128452,qa-richard-stallman-founder-of-the-gnu… In which RMS was asked the following question : *[Qn. Do you think public authorities should be leading the way with free software? Ans: Every public agency has a duty to maintain its control over its computing, as a matter of sovereignty. Using a non-free program means giving the program's developer control over that computing. Thus, public agencies must reject proprietary software and move to free software. Venezuela and Ecuador are on the right track.]* Cherian, In PDVSA case SAIC acted an arm of Amerian establishment. UID project is a project which involves the security of our nation. Microsoft is a US company, what is the guaranty Microsoft will not follow the SAIC way? As far as I know FSMK followed what Richard Stallman has said regarding use of proprietary software in public agencies, which is nothing but compromising our country's soveriegnity. Now, is it a crime to follow Richard Stallman? No, for sure. So kindly stop making stupid comments, and I request you to apologise for doing the same. Last time you posted what you do in your home, helping your wife and all, for posting a BBC news link which revealed Microsoft's racist hind side. My friend sent me the following link, which will give you a clearer picture of Microsoft. Do read it : http://www.ecis.eu/documents/Finalversion_Consumerchoicepaper.pdf Warm Regards, Roopesh

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Free software best suited for UI card project
by haynes davis 26 Sep '09

26 Sep '09

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/26913/free-software-suited-ui-card.html There are compelling arguments to support the use of a free software, but advocates of free software doubt if the government would decide on one, given the money involved and the weight the companies owning proprietary software carry. But use of proprietary system, they feel, would be tantamount to compromising national security. “A software can be termed as secure only if the freedom to examine or modify the code lies with its user, in this case, the Government of India,” proclaims the Free Software Movement of Karnataka (FSMK), a body that supports use of free software and propagates its usage in various spheres of activities. Naturally, the movement finds Microsoft’s proposal to undertake the project ‘disturbing.’ While on one hand — a write up in the FSMK newsletter claims — Microsoft’s involvement would sabotage a state’s, and by default its citizen’s, right to control the software on which the most crucial data would sit, it also paints an alarming picture of the IT giant’s associations with the US government and slips in the suggestion that it would let the Americans sabotage the whole network as a part of a cyber attack if things come down to that.

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