On Thu, 2009-01-15 at 07:16 +0530, Anivar Aravind wrote:

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Similar+experiences+in+B...

<snip> It is not only in Kerala that free software exponents are seeing red signal in government. Last year, similar developments took place in Brazil and Argentina, the Latin American countries where free software movement has made a major headway.

Why Government, even non-Government organisations have played a duble faced politics in supporting proprietory interests. The justification often given is that "convinience is the main issue and let's use what ever technology is available and take our work ahead. We have no time to spend time in changing to free software at the cost of some difficulty. It is sufficient that we use popular softwares". The polititions have been quoted saying "free software and proprietory softwares can co exist " This is the very ground on which big companies like M$ grasp the centerstage. The other problem is that many so called free software supporters just take it as a matter of ideology and a dream which can only remain dream. Infact Polititions have been seen more as users of Free Software moment like a show peace to prove how different they think and in reality they never care about freedom at all.

The ouster of M. Arun, special officer for International Centre for Free and Open Source Software (ICFOSS) and Joseph C Mathew, IT advisor to the Chief Minister, from their positions can be read along with the ousters of free software exponents from Brazilian and Argentinian governments. There were allegations that the expulsion of free software proponents in those countries was at the instance of Microsoft.

No, I feel there are other big players apart from Microsoft. Although M$ is probably the biggest player in the game of Political manipulations in IT policies, there are other big players as well. The supporting organisations which are involved in educational policies like MKCL and NASCOM to list a couple also have to play a major role. MKCL in Maharashtra is infact evidantly the big manipulator. Look what we lern here, Windows Vista and office 2007. This is a part of MSCIT basic computer course which governnment certifies. Now we must understand here Windows Vista and office 2007 is not even used by those windows supporters. This is just one example I am sighting. I leave it to the readers to decide whether to get stuck with such politics or become one against such bad forces of unfreedom. They will not stop but we can't stop as well. happy hacking. Krishnakant.