[Reader-list] freesoftware v/s freedom

[Mrityunjoy Chatterjee]

I find the argument of American state and American
company very funny. This patriotic pretension can act
as boomerang to FSF as it is also a US based
organization and Mr. R(s.)ichard $tallman is also an
American. Rather some one can say this American
organization is conspiring to destroy Indian IT
industry and its market, which free software is
actually capable of. So FSF people should be careful
if they try to use patriotism as marketing strategy.
If we see the present IT condition of India and the
position of its labour force one can easily find that
there are many more jobless Visual Basic programmes
and NT network experts than Linux programmers and
Apache experts. And for this reason Linux programmers
are earning much more than average VB programmers. So
if Linux programmers try to pose themselves as
underdogs they are lying.
So it can easily be said that future of millions of VB
programmers and NT experts will be doomed if Linux
becomes prime platform. Thus FSF people are actually
depriving Indian computer workforce. Thousands of
rupees are spent by young students to learn VB or NT
and I wonder if any company teaches “free software” at
free of cost organization (this can be a illustrious
alternative which Mr. Raju Mathur should start now),
so that those who already have spent loads of money
need not to spend again. Thus by propagating Linux
they are betraying the people of India.
As already there is dearth of job in IT market, so
only thing that Linux can do is replacing existing VB
programmers with Linux programmers. It means it will
only construct a community against an existing worker
community in the IT market. It means it will increase
social violence because lot of people will loose their
job. How one can do such an immoral act??
As some one can say my arguments are faulty, similarly
argument of U$ govt. and U$ company is equally faulty.
West Bengal government is not directly dealing with
Microsoft. It is dealing through WEBEL, NIIT and IBM.
What FSF think about these companies, and other Indian
companies which are working for Microsoft or partner
of Microsoft? FSF should contest with them on
patriotic issue rather than programming concepts.
By the way, what about Intel, Red Hat, Corel Linux and
other non-Indian commercialized “free software” and
hardware? What will happen with them, will FSF keep
them or throw them away? 

As far as alternative is concerned I have already
mentioned one. Just by writing a “free software” and
communicating with programmers in mailing lists does
not mean formation of community it actually ends up as
formation of caste or class. Community also exists
outside the professional horde. If intended there many
things which are need to be done other than
e-governance. Actually there are not education
institution for learning Linux. Theoretical and
practical education is very much needed. Workshops and
training sessions are required. Softwares in Indian
language, books on Linux in Indian languages are badly
required. Funds can be raised for all these things
from private institutions, NGOs, and even state. Main
thing is intension. If some one is intended to do
non-authoritative work s/he can easily find one. There
are many people who choose to do basic community
oriented work leaving back their status and career.
Actually every thing depends upon person's intension
and priority. Otherwise Mr. Raju Mathur also admits
that e-governance should be smashed.

J


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Send instant messages & get email alerts with Yahoo! Messenger.
http://im.yahoo.com/