[Fsf-friends] IT's foot soldier (Jaromil in India)

[Frederick Noronha (FN)]

http://www.hindu.com/mp/2005/02/08/stories/2005020800950400.htm

IT's foot soldier

Denis Jaromil is unusual. His possessions: a backpack and a laptop. He
writes software, distributes it free, and allows others to edit and
sell it too

[2005020800950401.jpg]

Denis Jaromil Rojo: `Free software is a good way to not depend on foreign
companies.' -- Photo: Murali Kumar K.

DENIS `JAROMIL' Rojo is as unconventional as one can get. He is an artist
(multi-faceted); free software programmer, a Rastafarian, a social worker,
and is a squatter on a vacant plot in Amsterdam. And his ideas are radical.
An Italian, Jaromil is a member of the fast-growing tribe that believes the
future belongs to free software. He is in India right now to convince NGOs
to use free software instead of spending public money to make multinational
corporations rich.

"Today, every operating system comes with a free music player; but to
produce music, you must buy a producer. This is a consumerist approach that
tries to shape society. So, I produce software that is free and comes with
producers and players. Free software is a good way to not depend on foreign
companies. In NGO work especially, public money can be invested in free
software that will contribute to generate local employment," he argues.

Jaromil himself was a victim of big-eat-small when his family's small
computer shop in Pescara, Italy, went bankrupt due to stiff competition from
multinational chains. "I have been working with computers since I was 12
years old. When our shop closed down, I tried to do some programming myself.
But compilers and source codes were too expensive. That's when my friend
introduced me to GNU/Linux (free software) and I have been hooked ever
since. I realised that I could study freely," he says. He has even gone on
to release his own version of GNU/Linux called Dynebolic which features
advanced audio and video editing tools, and is completely free. "The beauty
of free software is that you can edit it, copy it, and even sell it, and the
only thing you need to do is give credit to the developers who have put in
work before you," he says.

Programming is not the only thing Jaromil does. He has studied Communication
Sciences and Journalism, and earns his living as an Artist in Residence at
the National Institute for Media Art, Amsterdam. He is a member of
[23]www.net-art.org, a web-based issue portal, and a founding member of
Olografix.org, an NGO that teaches people how to use informatics better.

"I keep swinging between programming and social issues. I develop my
software under the name Rastasoft because I'm a Rastafarian and I want
people to use my software free of cost. People must exchange data freely
over a network and also be able to edit source codes. My most memorable
experience is when I wrote about Palestinian culture without mentioning war
even once. I travelled across the territory documenting everything that was
not war," he says.

And why does he squat? "My only possessions in my life are my backpack, the
old laptop and the clothes that I wear. Dutch law says if a place is free
for a year or more you can occupy it. It is a basic human right. Plus the
owner doesn't have to pay taxes if people are squatting on his property. And
when you squat, you meet different people. Cultures mix. Our group of
squatters runs an organisation called ASCII that recycles old computers that
the local community can use," adds Jaromil, who has very strong political
views on everything from war to software.

He is especially severe on Richard Stallman, the founder of GNU. "Richard
Stallman is a capitalist. He is a very good friend of mine but doesn't take
a clear position," he argues.

But  the big question remains. Can free software offer Indian programmers
the same kind of pay that global companies are now able to offer? "Yes.
Probably not a lot of money, but sufficient. But most important thing is
that the money stays in the community. You build software that serves your
needs and you fix the problems yourself. Local people solve local problems.
Indian engineers are immensely talented. Instead of contributing to some
corporation in North America, they can contribute to their local needs," he
says.

And as a final note of caution, he adds: "We need to be careful because
people are playing nasty tricks on free programmers. We are even being
infiltrated by people sponsored by the (global) companies. But whatever free
software is the future."

For more information on Dynebolic visit [24]www.dyne.org and for any queries
on free software email [25]jaromil at dyne.org

ANAND SANKAR


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Frederick Noronha (FN)                    Nr Convent Saligao 403511 GoaIndia
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Where the needs of the world and your talents cross, there lies your
vocation. --Aristotle