Raj Shekhar writes:
Instead of crying soar on this list, we can write articles/letters to various newspapers. The articles will have to be backed up with considerable proof/charts & tables that will be hard to ignore.
yes. I had once written a letter to the editor of the Hindu about the importance of free software and the role it can play in education. It came up. but to what benefit? "doing something about" this, IMVHO, is to be seen as something good by a large population. publishing a mere letter to the editor in a newspaper wouldn't just do. A larger campaign needs to be planned.
- We are free to make changes and hence customize it to our
needs. We can also audit the software for security flaws and errors.
Less cost
Generates employment (as the software needs maintainance,
training and modifaction)
- the money of the state/country remains inside the countryy and
does not go to foriegen countries
All of this means the politicians get to launder lesser money and that means smaller scope for their corruption to flourish. Corruption and the race for power needs to be eliminated without which the benefits of free software would only be a threat to them (the politicians) and hence they would seek quicker ways to eliminate us. More quicker and more desperate than proprietary software giants.
-Suraj