[Fsf-friends] Re: [bytesforall_readers] Microsoft to share Windows code with India

[Mahesh T. Pai]

satish jha wrote:

> ... i do believe that open source is not the most important
> issue in putting ict to development projects ....

Exactly.  You hit the nail right on the head. Open source (OS) is 
*not* important.  What is important is _freedom_.  Being OS'ed is only 
a means of ensuring freedom; one among many things required to 
preserve the users' swatantrata.

> what is important and critical is to understand how to envision,
> architect, design, develop, test,...and implement integrated
> systems in as much as is feasible with an understanding both of the
> needs and the technology and in that order.

You left out the most important part - MAINTAIN.

(in the next paragraph, 'you' means the community, not Mr. Satish Jha)
Merely being OS will not help you here.  In development and 
e-governance projects, unlike the all uses to which ICT has been 
applied so far, the data requires to be preserved for a     l   o   n 
   g   time.  You need to be able to modify, alter, redistribute, and 
all that if you are to effectively use ICT over a period of time.

> .... just as making coca cola ...

Speaking of cola, simply coz you know the formula to make that does 
not entitle you to manufacture it.  Ditto with s/w.  Merely knowing 
the sources does not mean freedom.

> open source will not do very much more either.

Yes, OS will not.  FREEDOM, swatantrata will.  Unfortunately, some 
believe that by simply being OS, you are 'free', which unfortunately 
is not true.

Mahesh T. Pai.