Hello List There are obvious errors in the article about free software in the malayalam text book of 8th Std IT@School Project. The errors may have crept during the translation of the English text to Malayalam. But it cannot be allowed to happen because if allowed to, it would convey a wrong interpretation about free software amongst the students/teachers/other persons. The exact malayalam text in mnglish Line 15 : Ennal panam kodukkate mikacha software aarkkum nalkunna oru prasthanam undu. Athanu free software foundation. Free software prasthanathile prashastharaya 2 peranu richard stallman um Linus Torvaldsum <English Translation> There is a movement which gives best software to anyone without taking money, that is Free Software Foundation. Two famous names in the free software foundation are Richard Stallman and Linus Torvalds. </English Translation> (Information technology 1, malayalam version, page 25) It also didn't mention anything about freedom and sharing. The English version is OK. The exact English text Free Software Foundation ------------------------ Many of the software available today are proprietary in the sense that they are actually owned by the manufacturing companies. It is illegal and hence punishable by law to copy them or share them with others. Also, the companies do not generally disclose the underlying code or the method of development of these software. So we have to buy these software at a high cost and also forced to buy the updates the companies bring out from time to time. So, there is a periodic expenditure in maintaining the computer up to date. "Free Software" is a solution to these problems. Such software developed by the Free Software Foundation can be copied, shared or modified. So, they can be acquired at a low cost, even free of cost sometimes. The movement was founded by Richard Stallman. Another name to note is that of Linus Torvalds. (Information Technology 1, English version, Page 25) The authorities at IT@School are saying that they will convert to more free software. But I do not think it will ever happen. If one looks at the text books for 8th Std, this becomes quite evident. One would doubt whether it is a text book or some advertising supplement of Microsoft and Intel. Wherever there is a picture of a microprocessor, it is an Intel Pentium chip. The chapter on software packages shows a logo of Windows XP. The chapter on wordprocessing shows a logo of Microsoft Word 2000... Should this be allowed ? This has to be fixed..... -- Vimal