[Fsf-friends] Free Software: What does freedom really mean... to whom?

Alex A.J. alexaj@vsnl.com
Mon, 11 Nov 2002 15:38:36 +0530


==>Raju Mathur  wrote:

> 
> Yup.  If Uncle, Auntie and DTP-wallah are using Linux

A very big IF indeed.
Most of the computers used by these people are assembled ones
and they come preloaded with the latest M$ bloatware and
all sorts of bleeding-edge thingies from major software
companies (`pirated' of course).

How can our Uncle and Auntie install and play the latest
version of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" on
their linux machine? (All their neighbors are running it on
their winxxx machines and the 10yr old kid is screaming hell)

And the DTP-wallah will have to close shop if he were to
abandon windoze and install Linux. Is there an alternative
to Adobe Pagemaker (used by 99.9% of DTP guys) in
Linux? And the Indian language s/w from most of the
major players like CDAC are heavily windoze biased
(and non-free).

What does freedom mean, to these people?

> has a problem with it, they can send a message to the local LUG
> mailing list or call their other friend who helped them install it in
> the first place and expect to get help, maybe even a personalised
> visit from one of the happy hackers living near them.
> 

Ohh well, I happen to be a `happy hacker' with a whole lotta
uncles and aunties nearby. And I have the pleasure of enjoying
many personalised visits to them. The above questions were
actually asked by some of them, while discussing this new-fangled
thing called `Lainuksh', which everybody is talking about these days.

Cheers
Alex.