2009/1/5 V. Sasi Kumar sasi.fsf@gmail.com:
On Sun, 2009-01-04 at 21:38 +0530, Vikram Vincent wrote:
Let me try to sketch out a possibility you may not have thought about...
<possibility> Some youth who were inspired by the ideals of free software and FSF/FSFI wanted to contribute their efforts to building the free software movement in TN. They were not aware about FSFI's policy on local chapters(I can safely say that not many knew that until recently) and did not know that they would have stones thrown at them for using the FSFI logo and also branded as "misguided activists of a political party". They invited people who they felt would support the cause of free software. Due to being extremely busy in organising such a program they were not able/forgot to send a mail to the required lists. Then certain people on this list, instead of trying to guide these youth, started throwing stones at them. Youth do not want to be beaten with stones and hence do not reply to FSFI's mail. </possibility> Sasi Sir, In your wisdom please see if such a situation is even remotely possible.
Thank you for presenting another possible scenario. But this still leaves me with several doubts. They knew of the existence of FSFI, enough to use the logo. The minimum they could have done was to write to any of the FSFI mailing lists to inform FSFI about their intentions. They did not do so. FSFI wrote to the email id given in their website to ask about the people who were organising the conference. There was no response. If someone wants to condone these things, they will have to admit that these people were very naive and ignorant. But the contents of the newsletter they had put up on their website showed that they were not all that ignorant about Free Software or FSF.
Dear Vikram,
I don't think I am a very wise person. There is too much to understand about life for most people to become really wise in their lifetime. In my limited wisdom and intelligence, I think the scenario you have described is possible, but very highly improbable.
The fact that you have admitted that this is a possible situation is sufficient. In a court of law, if there is room for doubt then an entity cannot be condemned and thus unless the situation I have sketched out is disproved beyond reasonable doubt the "Chennai conspiracy theory" stands demolished.