Gates threatening spirit of freedom: free software guru
From Indo-Asian News Service
New Delhi, Nov 12 (IANS) Microsoft chairman Bill Gates threatens the spirit of freedom, the founder of the free software movement said here even as the world's richest man began a tour of India.
Richard Stallman said in the Indian capital Monday evening that Microsoft and Gates -- who arrived here on a four-day visit the same day -- were perpetuating systems that threaten the freedom of computer users.
Stallman was in the city to release his book "No Sir, No Monopoly! Free Software - A Perspective".
Published by Prajashakti publishers, the book was released by B.K. Kcayla, convenor of the national working group on patent laws.
Stallman, who has emerged as a symbol against everything that Bill Gates has stood for, is also the founder of the GNU software project out of which has emerged the Linux operating system -- available free or in low-cost software packages.
Clad informally, Stallman seemed every inch the man he is reputed to be. After walking to the podium sans his shoes, Stallman said: "This is a struggle for freedom and independence. Non-free software, like the ones sold by Microsoft, divides people.
"It is like not being allowed to share your favourite cooking recipes with your friends. One cannot exchange recipes, one cannot change the cooking nor does one know anything about the ingredients - that is the world of non-free software, developed by Microsoft.
"It doesn't allow any software to be shared and one has to pay for running these programmes. In India, it would cost an enormous amount and a big drain on resources.
"Non-free software violates the spirit of goodwill that is so important for human society and civilization. It is akin to the exploitative colonial system.
"When Bill Gates donates computer systems to schools, it is like gifting cigarettes. It is initially free but when you get hooked you have to pay for it. Non-free software programmes are like that. It will be available free of cost but for a couple of years only."
Gates is pledging a large donation to health projects in India through his Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Said Stallman: "Gates is donating a small fraction of what he has squeezed out of computer users."
"What India should do is to resist against non-free software collectively. The good effects of globalisation can come about only through the use of non-free software," Stallman argued.
In India, Linux is used by less than 10 percent of the country's personal computers and server computers.
India has an estimated half-million individual software developers. There are an estimated four million PCs in use in India among the nation's billion people.
--Indo-Asian News Service
Gates threatening spirit of freedom: free software guru
From Indo-Asian News Service
[...]
"What India should do is to resist against non-free software collectively. The good effects of globalisation can come about only through the use of non-free software," Stallman argued.
That went above the head :) It's either a typo or a misquote.
Yeah, its like saying "I ain't got no money!" :)
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I would rather look at it from another angle.
What if this is an idea of a 'sustainable marriage formula' between the benefactors of 'commercial patent' regime in the drug and software industries?
. Getting a huge and diverse population, to 'test' under-production untested AIDS prescriptions, that too with State protection, transforming the affected citizens here as guinea pigs, cannot also be ruled out .
We may soon have another combination of Pfizer or Ranbaxy, coming up to some part in India and saying that poor quality food is the reason for all the illness, which can be avoided with genetically modified rice or wheat seeds. After gaining inroads to the State machinery (obviously foreign-fund stricken elected heads may compete to grab the offering) this 'charity funding' may eventually succeed in eliminating all natural seeds (as States may be forced to push through the genetically modified terminator seeds through subsidies).
The next offering would be from Mosanto Inc, on commercial and proprietary software and this vicious cycle may continue forever. This unholy combination of commercial patents in 'agriculture, software and drug' have the power to take on any country in this globe, and the best of brains there (could be even Indian) who are at work, might be doing this just to ensure his living.
Does this reasoning sound more appealing?
CK Raju Thrissur
And as someone put it, this tour to sub-continent appears to be more out of fear (on losing out market share), rather than any real goodwill. DId I see that fear reflected on the face of Narayana Murthy? Maybe, maybe not.
Earlier too, we had such Chairmen of rich and powerful MNCs making donations, something that Bordieu compared to 'soft violence', as that tantamounted to pressurising the 'State under influence' to forcibly allow flow of goods or services from that MNC, ultimately leading to 'more violence'.
In fact, I would concur with the thinking that such 'violence' being unleashed by rich and powerful global MNCs are more terrorising than any other forms of violence, especially when no other extra-terrestrial forms of life are threatening us.
Not anymore, Bill, you would lose that contribution, too. We will become wiser with the passage of time, sharp enough to track such narrow moves.
CK Raju
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