--- Siddhesh Poyarekar wrote:

On 6/12/07, Roshan d_rosh2001@yahoo.co.in wrote:

...

RMS once said "India is seeing Free Software as an alternative because the can build infrastructure

with

...

compartively less costs." I guess, most of us are looking at this

perspective.

Only third grade stuff is free (muft). If you want quality you have to pay the price for it. RMS probably didn't get this aspect of India's mentality when he said that. I wouldn't say he's wrong though. Linux based firewalls, proxies, mail servers and web servers are quite popular because of their cost. But if they can afford it, people will love to upgrade to the "premium" proprietary services.

Actually, all too often the paid stuff is also thrid class, but it is natural to feel good about soemthing that one has paid for, to avoid feeling more depressed at being cheated.

But OLSR and the new B.A.T.M.A.N (release party in Berlin on 20 June, all are welcome to be there literally or virtually) should be added to your list of very superior 'free' application/services, not popular because they are inexpensive (although that is also an important facet of real freedom, the freedom to spend appropriately and not because of some commercial hype or worse, legal restrictions) but because they are just so much darned better than the alternative.

Vickram

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