[Fsf-friends] Fwd: Free software movement in Cochin University of Science and Technology

[Mahesh T Pai]

Khuzaima A. Lakdawala wrote:

 > An Open Forum of Free Software Movement was held in the Dept of
 > Polymer Science,Cochin University of Science and
 > Technology,Cochin,Kerala,India  on 25th

Great news.  I am an alumnus of CUSAT, and used to teach the evening
LL.B. students.

 > (i) To form a core group of people interested in Free Software

Make sure that there are people from the dept fo computer Sc. and of
course, B. Tech UG students.

 > (ii) To form an egroup for Free Software Movement in

Make sure that you do not end up as a 'virtual group'.  There are
enough people (users) fed up with vulnerablities of proprietary s/w,
at least in the school of legal studies.  Only, you have to train them
to use GNU/Linux systems.

I got my first lesson in 'vendor dependence' from here. In 1996, the 
Sch. fo Legl. Studies had started giving 'training' to staff and 
students @ Rs. 25/- for two weeks' training to four persons on a 
single system.  When I went back there, this time as a teacher, I 
found that there was network, with all its allied vulnerablities. The 
users were quite fed up with frequent virul attacks and 
re-installations.  But, no one was interested in having a GNU / Linux 
installation coz. they were not comfortable with the interface.

 > (iii) To start loading Linux in the systems of interested users

Incidentally, I have observed that a large number of systems ( in 
several depts. ) run unauthorised copies.