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Re: Bangalore Consultation
by Frederick Noronha (FN) 14 Apr '03

14 Apr '03

Free Software is going to be the subject of a consultation being organised by UNDP. Please get in touch with shruti.gupta(a)undp.org with your suggestions. Thanks! FN On Mon, 14 Apr 2003, Shruti Gupta wrote: > Dear all, > > The report of the Bangalore Consultation on ICTs for Development (11-12 > March 2003) is ready and up on our website. > > You can access it at the UNDP website > <http://www.undp.org.in/events/ict-bglr/> > > The website also hosts speakers' presentations. So all of those who > have not sent us their presentations in the soft format, please do so > now! > > Work is now on for the second consultation. We are looking at the > themes of 'Open Source and Free Software' and the 'Role of the Media in > Promoting ICTs for Development'. Please feel free to send us your ideas > and comments for the same. > > We look forward to hearing from you, and seeing you all soon for the > next event! > > Best regards, > > > > > Shruti Gupta > Junior co-ordinator > Project on ICTs for Development > > -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Frederick Noronha (FN) | http://www.fredericknoronha.net Freelance Journalist | http://www.bytesforall.org http://goalinks.pitas.com | http://joingoanet.shorturl.com http://linuxinindia.pitas.com | http://www.livejournal.com/users/goalinks -------------------------------------------------------------------------

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SITEWATCH: glugt.linuxisle.com (Trichy)
by Frederick Noronha (FN) 14 Apr '03

14 Apr '03

URL : http://glugt.linuxisle.com tux GNU/Linux User Group - Trichy GNU * Main Menu * [1]GLUG Home [2]Projects [3]Downloads [4]GNU/Linux Links [5]Meetings [6]Mailing Lists [7]Credits * GNU/Linux Docs * [8]GNU/Linux Workshop [9]Tips/HOWTOS * Reminder * GLUG-T Meeting Date: 20th April, Sunday Time: 9:30 to 12:30pm Venue: Accel IT Academy Thillainagar [10]* Help Needed * LCD Projector Domain Name & Web Space Meeting Place Welcome to GNU/Linux User Group - Trichy The GLUG-T is based at Trichy, a small city at the heart of Tamil Nadu, a state in India. The user group aims to promote free software in its spirit. We meet every 3rd Sunday on a decided place. (Check out our [11]meetings page for the next meeting's venue.) In our meetings we discuss both technical and philosophical issues related to free software. We welcome everybody interested in free software and the GNU/Linux OS to join our user group. Joining the GLUG-T: You can join us by subscribing to our mailing list glug_t(a)freelists.org and attending our meetings. To subscribe to the mailing list send a mail to [12]glug_t-request(a)freelists.org with 'subscribe' as subject. Contacting Us: .In case the information you are looking for is not in this website you can mail to [13]glug_t(a)linuxmail.org. * Cookie * * Poll * Which is your favourite Desktop Environment? (_) Gnome (_) KDE (_) Text Mode (_) Others [14][ Results ] Vote Powered By * GNU/Linux * EMACS * pHp * GIMP * Apache * Site Maintained by [15]Web Admin glugt_webadmin(a)linuxmail.org

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Re: [fsug-kochi-discuss] Fwd:[Re: [Fsf-friends] Re: Forming FSUGs in the country]
by Raghavendra Bhat 13 Apr '03

13 Apr '03

Dileep posts : >> We are the 1st FSUG in India Sure, we are. The 1st FSUG in India which has a majority of GNUheads. The GNU angle is more important to us. >>--Forwarded message from "Nagarjuna G." <nagarjun(a)hbcse.tifr.res.in> -- >> >>>>>Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2003 09:39:28 +0530 >>>>>From: "Nagarjuna G." <nagarjun(a)hbcse.tifr.res.in> >>>>>Subject: Re: [Fsf-friends] Re: Forming FSUGs in the country >>>>>To: Arko Provo Mukherjee <arkoprovo(a)peacefulaction.org> >>>>>> We are not going against GLUG if we form FSUG. We can go hand >>>>>> in hand with them. If it is FSF, it should be FSUG. I have seen RMS insist that if possible, the Group be named as a GNU/Linux User Group instead of calling it as a Free Software User Group. That way, the idea of freedom in computing can be conveyed much easily. >>>>> pass a resolution in one of their meetings and announces on >>>>> their web page Existing `Linux' User Groups should move away and rename themselves as GNU/Linux User Groups and resolve in their meetings to refuse to support `non-free' software. This need be reflected in their Web Pages too. >>>>> Such groups will not encourage the promotion of non-free >>>>> software under any free operating system, while promoting the >>>>> use of free software anywhere. The Group should stress the importance of the GNU Project first. Such groups should discuss the ethical aspects of Free Software and the finer nuances of `what free really means to a computer user ?'. Licensing issues should be discussed as well. They may even discuss how free software can help businesses and stress that free GNU software was born mainly for preserving user freedoms rather than to help businesses..... -- ragOO, VU2RGU :: Visit us at http://symonds.net/~fsug-kochi/ Helping to keep the Air-Waves FREE Amateur GNU Radio Helping to keep your Software FREE the GNU Project Helping to keep the W W W FREE Debian GNU/${kernel}

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LFY April issue
by Arun M 13 Apr '03

13 Apr '03

Hi, It is very sad that LFY doesnt get a clue of what Free Software all about. See the article on 'IDE Tools for Linux'(April issue), it talks of 6 IDE tools, only 2 of them are Free Software or even `open' source. LFY ignored even the IDE from India, Anjuta. Now looking into CD. It comes with 5 OSs and two of them clearly proprietary. CD says that all of them are Freeware no clear distinction. Hope that LFY will correct the situation and clear distinction will be made about Free and Proprietary softwares in GNU/Linux. Confusing between Free and non-Free is worser than supporting proprietary. software. Arun. -- "Freedom received through the efforts of others, however benevolent, cannot be retained when such efforts are withdrawn." -- Mahatma Gandhi

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Re: [Fsf-friends] Re: Forming FSUGs in the country
by Arko Provo Mukherjee 13 Apr '03

13 Apr '03

On Sun, 2003-04-13 at 09:46, Nagarjuna G. wrote: > > Yes, why dont you draft the letter and after corrections if any > FSF-India will send the letters to the groups. > > Nagarjuna My Board Exams are going on. But I shall definitely try to find out some time to do it. In the mean time, it is also important to select cities and groups. Regards Arko

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Forming FSUGs in the country
by Arko Provo Mukherjee 13 Apr '03

13 Apr '03

Hello guys, Well, we all know that there are ilugs/iglugs throughout the country. We can start FSUGS(Free Software User Group) in the main cities and invite people to join. They can run parallelly along with the ILUGS/IGLUGS. Many people in the ILUGS don't believe in Free Software philosophy. Thus establishing FSUG in different cities will help us to create user groups supporting free software including GNU/Linux, BSD etc. The coordinators of the mailing lists will be people from FSF=INDIA. That way we can set policies. I think this will also help in strengthening FSF-INDIA and also in spreading FREEDOM MATTERS. We can give URLS to them, like www.fsf.org.in/fsug/cal etc. This will enable us to create country wide user groups under our control. I know that we already have a few FSUGs in the country, like in Chennai. We can invite them to join us. Waiting for comments and suggestions. Regards Arko

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a post from Pune list
by Kanti Jadia 12 Apr '03

12 Apr '03

On Sunday 13 April 2003 01:06, zoyd wrote: >I'm sorry for not being attentive. I read through this thread >but >couldn't understand why the fonts that Ravi has made can't be >released >under the GPL? > >And how much would the fonts cost for them to be released in the >GPL. Thing is since it is open type font, it involves scripting, which is like programming. So it is rather a piece of program than artwork. And I can perfectly understand his hesitation to release it under GPL. Shridhar ---------------------------------- http://plug.org.in/pipermail/plug-mail/2003-April/007638.html ---------------------------------- Can somebody comment on this. regards Kanti ----------------------------------------- Enjoy your Freedom,use GNU/Linux. http://www.gnu.org/gnu/why-gnu-linux.html ----------------------------------------- _______________________________________________________________________ Odomos - the only mosquito protection outside 4 walls - Click here to know more! http://r.rediff.com/r?http://clients.rediff.com/odomos/Odomos.htm&&odomos&&…

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Re: ? Is the GPL completely misunderstood?
by Frederick Noronha (FN) 12 Apr '03

12 Apr '03

SUCH views only further the ideology of proprietorial software, while confusing the subject and furthering the man-works-for-money-alone idea. It also flies in the face of thousands of excellent programmers chosing the GPL as their licence of choice. Perhaps someone needs to be countering this. FN > --__--__-- > > Message: 1 > Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 23:07:00 -0800 (PST) > From: Sukrit D <sd_root(a)yahoo.com> > To: little_league(a)yahoogroups.com > Cc: Kanhaiya Dalmia <dalmiag(a)vsnl.net>, > Chennai ILUG <ilugc(a)aero.iitm.ernet.in> > Subject: [Ilugc] Is the GPL completely misunderstood? > > Is the GPL completely misunderstood? > > What is the GPL? > > The GPL, GNU General Public License, is a license > boilerplate that the FSF, Free Software Foundation, > has put forward to be adopted by software developers > that are creating software. The GPL has some > fundamental flaws that may actually make one wonder if > people using the GPL license really understand the > license. > > First, one must understand that the ideals behind the > GPL are that software should be 'free', meaning that > you should be able to buy it, modify it, redistribute > it, support it, etc. Many people, myself included, > didn't really understand the license agreement and it > is obvious that the FSF must get dozens of questions > like that because they hide behind a boilerplate link > to a page on their site. > > Therein lies one major hurdle. Another problem is that > many people are under the impression that if it is > GPL, the software should carry no cost. The FSF says > that nothing could be further from the truth, however, > the GPL ingeniously assures this because of its > distribution clause. The first person to buy an > application is generously allowed to distribute the > code and the source, removing any financial incentive > from original software author. > > Even the FSF has no idea how to build a business > around software that is released GPL. I posed that > question, and their response was fuzzy and vague. It > was suggested that I run a different division to fund > the software development division. As a business > owner, why run a division that is a cost center if it > isn't needed. > > With that in mind, lets consider a few scenarios > dealing with GPL software. The FSF clearly states that > someone can charge whatever amount they want for > software and the source code. So, you take a contract > with a company to develop software, do the right thing > and release it GPL. You sell it to your client for > $500, thinking, I spent dozens of hours writing this, > I'll put a reasonable cost on there so that I can > resell hundreds of them. > > Fair enough. > > But, what happens if I, as a client, buy your software > along with the source and decide, hey, this is good > stuff, let me sell it for $100 and flood the market. > What happens to your income? It is gone. Someone else > is making the money off your product -- your efforts. > Even better, I can decide to distribute the software > at no cost. And what you have to show for it is a > license that allows your clients to do precisely that. > Freedom. > > Lets analyze the flip side. Lets say that you decide > to write the software and charge the client for every > minute of your work. The client ends up with a > software product that cost them $40000. Now, you > decide that you want to resell that software. What > price do you put on it knowing that your next client > could decide to distribute it? If you cut the price > too much, the client that paid you to do the > development won't rehire you since you have given his > competitor the tools to compete more easily. Companies > generally dislike funding software development for > their competitors. > > How about an idea you have that will revolutionize the > world. Don't release that under GPL, there is no > intellectual property protection. Have some secret way > of doing something that is better than the way it is > currently being done? Might as well just get rid of > your competitive edge because the GPL will strip you > of any rights you might have to that. > > See, the GPL in its Marxist form is a fine thought, > but what does it really do? > > The GPL creates hundreds of software products that are > mimic's of their commercial counterpart, many of which > are poor imitations. Yes, I know, the market is new > and there are years of existing software development > to catch up with. But, most of these software > developers have a job and do this as a hobby or are > paid by a company to write software released under the > GPL. But what have we done? We've turned over > development to armchair developers. This isn't to say > that there aren't good software projects developed > under GPL, but they are in the minority. > > Without singling out any application, there is a > software package that makes it truly evident that the > programmers have no concept what the finished product > is supposed to do or what the program they are > mimicing actually does. It appears as if they have > gotten together to develop a product to mimic a > Microsoft product, pushed all of the buttons to see > what the results are, and tried to imitate the > actions. Push a button and see no visible result? Who > knows how that button is supposed to work. We'll leave > it in, but there's no code behind it. There is a lot > of software that mimic's Microsoft, and yet, time > after time, these are the same people that complain > about Microsoft and what they do wrong. Then, to top > it off, since they released it GPL, they ask for > donations. Wait? Can't Freedom have a price? > > These authors don't know that they can charge money > for their software and still release it GPL. Of > course, after the first client, it will get > redistributed at some nominal cost or free. Imagine, > the first person that needs a program will buy it and > then post it on the net for people to get without > cost. Almost no different than the Commercial software > market as it exists today. Ok, chalk up one licensed > user that paid for the software. Authors ask for > donations or have service contracts. Some applications > are decidedly cryptic just so you have to buy the > service contract or installation help. Why? Because > the author needs to make some money for their efforts > and have a financial reward that justifies the > continued development of the project. > > Most of the people writing GPL software probably have > never read the license. How can you expect them to? > Everyone is told to slap the boilerplate agreement at > the top because 'GPL good, other license bad,' but how > many people that use the license have actually read > it? > > The GPL has created a dearth of poorly conceived, > poorly maintained, poorly written software. There are > also quite a few good GPL applications. Suffice it to > say, that most of the applications that are good and > are GPL usually have corporate roots. I surmise that > most of the companies releasing software under the GPL > are not releasing their code under the GPL for the > right reasons. > > The people that slam Microsoft for all that it is are > the same ones mimicing Microsoft's applications. > Certain applications are designed specifically to look > like Microsoft, which is the sincerest form of > flattery. Yet, people slam Microsoft because they > don't innovate. Well, look at most of the GPL software > that mimic's what is out there already? Where is the > innovation in that? That's what I thought. > > I don't have a problem with the GPL -- it just doesn't > happen to be my license of choice. I evaluated the > licenses and felt that the GPL didn't protect me or my > clients well enough. Most of the code my company > produces is released under an Open Source license. > Open Source I don't mind. Draconian terms and > conditions that sacrifice my rights as an author, or > my clients rights, or make it easy for people to avoid > compensating me for my efforts is where I have a > problem. > > <Sarcasm> > Unlike most GPL software authors, I am not > independently wealthy. I don't have a trust fund > handing me money every month. I don't have a rich > family writing a check to keep me locked away in a > basement churning out code. I don't have a fellowship > with an educational institution or sponsorship from a > big corporation so that I jet around the world > espousing the ideals, writing and releasing code under > the GPL. > </Sarcasm> > > If you develop software that allows someone to make > millions of dollars from your efforts, why should you > not be entitled to some of that money? What if you > write the next killer ap, distribute it, someone else > finds a VC, gets capital, goes public, gets rich -- > all on your idea? Notoriety is fine, but your bank > doesn't accept that when you are paying your mortgage. > > > In short, I don't believe the GPL serves the software > development community in the best possible manner. By > virtue, it eliminates financial motivation from those > writing software and drives those development costs on > existing industry. You may volunteer your time, but > your employer ultimately finances your ability to have > the time to write that code. Who really carries the > true development cost of the software? > > If you want the dream of Linux on the desktop to take > off more quickly, take the time to explain how a > company developing GPL software can protect itself and > earn money to pay its programmers and support staff. > If you work for a company writing GPL software, take > some time to think where your salary ultimately comes > from. Help develop a business plan to allow companies > to develop software and release the products under an > Open Source license that ensures the viability of the > company. If you want > > Next time you write an application, give some thought > to your licensing. A good place to start reading the > different licenses is Open Source.Org. > > --Chris > > http://daviesinc.com/gpl.rxml > > __________________________________________________ > -- Frederick Noronha : http://www.fredericknoronha.net : When we speak of free Freelance Journalist : http://www.bytesforall.org : software we refer to Ph 0091.832.2409490 : Cell 0 9822 122436 : freedom, not price.

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Re: [Fsf-friends] Forming FSUGs in the country
by Imran William Smith 12 Apr '03

12 Apr '03

Regardless of the merits of FSUGs vs LUGs, in case anyone is interested to find their nearest group, there is a list here: http://www.asiaosc.org/enwiki/page/India.html Feel free to edit the page if you wish, it's a wiki. Imran -- Asian Open Source Centre | It's most certainly GNU/Linux, www.AsiaOSC.org | not Linux. Read more at | http://www.gnu.org

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Status of OpenOffice (hindi is planned)
by Kanti Jadia 12 Apr '03

12 Apr '03

OpenOffice.org 1.1Beta Features 2003-03-25 To download OpenOffice.org 1.1 Beta and for more information about the release please visit the download center. General * The splash screen now has a progress bar. * PDF export. * Ability to mail a document as PDF. * DocBook XML import/export. * Support for mobile device formats (AportisDoc (Palm),Pocket Word and Pocket Excel). * Support for exporting as a flat XML file. * XHTML export. * OpenOffice.org ActiveX Control (Windows only). * Additional property pages for OpenOffice.org file types in Windows Explorer. * Accessibility support. * Improved configurability of dialogs and toolbars. * Configurable font for HTML and BASIC source code. * Improved online help (F1). * Autodetection of newly installed languages for spellchecker, thesaurus and hyphenator. * Support for copy/paste of bitmap graphics on Unix. * A new java-native-uno bridge with up to 10 times better performance. * Improved URL autocompletion in hyperlink dialog. * The context menu now contains 'Open Hyperlink' if opened on a URL. * Locking of user installations against accesses from multiple machines with shared directories. * Command line tools and an API for importing configuration data into the backend. * Document windows are now always created in a cascade to avoid new window completely overlapping the old one. * Support for registering add-ons and accessing add-ons via an auto-generated menu. * New FTP file access component. * The registration dialog will now display instead of addressbook data source selection on first run. * Accessibility support for Windows * Support for recovering slightly damaged OpenOffice.org files. * Detection of a misconfigured Java installation. * New ppd file for generic postscript printing with type42 font support. * Support for configuring font rendering via environment variables. Internationalization * support for Complex Text Layout (CTL) and vertical writing languages such as Thai, Hindi, Arabic and Hebrew. * Support for various 8-bit Arabic and Hebrew text encodings / code pages. * Support for the KOI8_U encoding. * New CTL options tab in language options dialog. * Rescue mode support for BiDi/CTL with X11 fonts. * Sequence Input Checking (SIC) for languages like Thai and Hindi. * Initial glyph fallback support. Writer * Enhanced footnote support. * Improved hyperlink support for TOCs. * Improved keyboard handling in toolboxes. * Plain text files will now be imported using a non-proportional font. Draw/Impress * Alternative language support for spell check on text drawing object. * SWF (Flash) export. Spreadsheet: * Import and export of areas in charts in Excel files that are formatted with bitmaps, textures or hatchings. * The sum button inserts a sum function or a subtotal function, depending on context. Database: * Table control via keyboard navigation in table designer. * Added ability to switch off brackets for bibliography fields. * New database type in data source administration dialog - MySQL. * Ability to add labels to field names in the report wizard. * A data source can now use any character set known to OpenOffice.org. * UI support for user installed database drivers. ----------------------------------------- Enjoy your Freedom,use GNU/Linux. http://www.gnu.org/gnu/why-gnu-linux.html ----------------------------------------- _______________________________________________________________________ Odomos - the only mosquito protection outside 4 walls - Click here to know more! http://r.rediff.com/r?http://clients.rediff.com/odomos/Odomos.htm&&odomos&&…

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