On the use of windows in fsfs.in, I think the matter is pretty clear.

Windows was loaded in the personal laptop of Sun's representative who spoke in technology track. The organisers already admitted that, it was their mistake not to explicitly mention that no speakers should use proprietary OS for making presentations. Then why is this hue and cry? Its not a stock market and there is no bullish trend present.

Stating this, I would also like to point out that, free softwares are not only available in free operating systems, but they are equally available and present in proprietary OS's as well. If you want to showcase a platform independent API or SDK, what will be the option left out, if no proprietery OS is allowed in the conference venue? Again, is it good/ethical to develop free softwares in proprietery platform according to your convictions?

Another area where proprietery OS was spotted were the stall owned by SBT, one of the sponsors of the conference. There is an ongoing exercise to tie it up with the boycott novell protest in National Conference on Free Software held at Kochi. The issue with Novell is clearly different. Novell was not present in the official sponsors list for Kochi conference duly published in its website. But they were made sponsors over the night. If you are not trying to be blind, it is easy for you to recognise. Novell legitimised M$'s claim on software patents by making use of a loophole in GPL.v2 which prompted the community to come out with a better licence option GPL.v3. If you are all for patents, its better to quit this movement. On the contrary, the sponsors of fsfs.in were known already and if anybody had anything against state bank, then they should have said about it in advance. This is just a flamewar and is not according to merit.

I was present full time in policy track at this (fsfs.in) conference and there weren't a single instance were M$ product was used. Whenever a speaker, tended to voice against the spirit of freedom, the delegates raised objection then and there itself and they were not manhandled with. The freedom to protest was observed, not curtailed.

But I have some disagreements on smartcity being the sponsor of such an event and that is political. I am all against SEZs and software SEZs are not needed for FLOSS development. This is a personal view, and I do not know anybody who shares the same opinion. If my reading is correct, Anivar might also possess some problem with it.

The second thing i was not satisfied with was, though it was not the usual way with journos, I registered for the conference and paid the delgate fee. But on asking for a receipt, I was denied one. But I got more enlightened than the Rs. 500/- I paid, and so I have no big problem with it.

Now whether or not to use proprietery software, the answer is, whenever a viable free version is available to execute a project, use it, and if not, go for the proprietary option. I am not an FS fanatic. I have a dual boot system and I use Adobe products which are proprietary. As they run only on Windows and Macs, I use Windows. As the Scribus development is going on, I hope, soon there will be a time, when i could completely opt for Free Software only. As I am not a techie or an engineer, I have not personally contributed to any code, but was active in discussions related to Malayalam localisation of GNU/Linux as a volunteer of SMC. If you think that one could qualify as a free software enthusiast only if he writes some code, I am not your prey. I am attracted to the concept of freedom and am trying myself to understand the code. I dont think, its a holy grail to stay away from.

Regards. Sebin