[Fsf-friends] Annual Free Software Event, India

[doxa at antispam]

Its not just the magazines that say like this, at times even "premier" newspapers like "The Hindu" too is prone to making such off-remarks. Thankfully the paper has a significant presence only in South India.

Here's what G Mahadevan wrote on 28 Feb this year.
"... In fact, there are many committed users of free software who argue that this `geek factor' may be one reason for inhibiting the growth of free software usage in the State. A lecturer in a teaching department of the University of Kerala and a vocal proponent of free software points out that the `free software debate' as it were has now become politicised, personalised and is today anything but `free.' Some votaries of free software have taken their case beyond all limits. The kind of philosophical arguments about the differences between free software and open-source software actually put off everyone except the most committed users. Many a time the casual user of the computer is scared off Linux by all this geek-speak...."

G Mahadevan could have taken some time off to learn about the differences in the same time he took for going after someone who doesn't know it.

CK Raju
Thrissur