Please reply to S Srinivasan madraschap@yahoo.com I will also point out that the correct term is GNU/Linux and that Open Source is different from Free Software (though both may be collectively called a term which is gaining acceptance in South Asia too -- Free/Libre and Open Source Software). FN
On Thu, 7 Nov 2002, S Srinivasan wrote:
Dear Frederick
Thanks for your mail. I have a few queries for the Indian LUGgers and other experts on open source/free software. Could you kindly circulate this among your friends and ask them to reply to me? Before that, I would request you to answer these queries too. Thanks in advance.
Bill Gates is coming to India next week. How do you, as a supporter of open source software, look at this visit?
What message, do you think, the Indian and state governments should be giving Gates?
Do you think our central and state governments have the nerve or the commitment to encourage open source software risking the wrath of Microsoft and other software multinationals?
There has been a recent story, sourced to nobody in particular, saying that India will push into open source in a major way... Your reactions...
Can you give me instances of Linux/open source software making a difference in e-governance or projects meant for poor people? Also, can you give me examples of governments talking right on open source, but still depending heavily on Windows?
What do you think is the future of Linux in india? how do you rate the progress so far?
Thanks. Kindly reply to madraschap@yahoo.com. I am looking to wrapping up the story as soon as possible, so I would request you to answer as soon as you see this mail. Thanks for allowing me to make this small demand on your time.
S Srinivasan
S SRINIVASAN
Correspondent
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
S-2, Ganga-Cauvery Apartments, Sultanpalya Main Road, Sultanpalya
Bangalore - 560 032.
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I will also point out that the correct term is GNU/Linux and that Open Source is different from Free Software (though both may be collectively called a term which is gaining acceptance in South Asia too -- Free/Libre and Open Source Software). FN
The nice thing about "free software" is that free-as-in-freedom can be easily and unambiguously translated into local languages. The same cannot be said about "open source" -- compare "swatantra software" with "khula source" (Hindi), for instance, and judge which one makes more sense. (Adding the word "Libre" too doesn't help much in a regional context because it simply addresses a couple of European languages.)
That's a practical and non-ideological reason for choosing the term "free software" with the word "free" replaced by "swatantra" or its regional equivalent. Of course, when you add ideology to the picture, the choice becomes even easier :)
"Swatantra software" is far more people friendly compared to FLOSS which just sounds like computer (or dental :) jargon.
|| On 09 Nov 2002 16:20:38 +0530 || klak@giasbm01.vsnl.net.in (Khuzaima A. Lakdawala) wrote:
kal> The nice thing about "free software" is that free-as-in-freedom can be kal> easily and unambiguously translated into local languages. The same kal> cannot be said about "open source" -- compare "swatantra software" kal> with "khula source" (Hindi), for instance, and judge which one makes more
Exactly. Infact if any of you saw yesterday's DD Malayalam news, you would have observed this: There was a mention of a new center of Keltron on "Open Source Saangethikavidya" (Open Source Technology) being opened. I am not interested in the details of this center, but see the usage of Open Source!! Is Open Source a Technology ?? May be. Good that they didn't say "Free Software Technology"!!
English words have crept into local languages extensively(eg: software), mainly because our languages are not modernized. Try listening to Isrealis or Chinese, you won't hear these words, because their languages were modernized.
Ramakrishnan posts :
There was a mention of a new center of Keltron on "Open Source Saangethikavidya" (Open Source Technology) being opened.
This is really a setback for the efforts of the GNUheads who are actively involved with Keltron in Thiruvananthapuram. Arun, are you reading ?
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