[Fsf-friends] Re: [??.??.??.?] Red Hat signs MoU with Kerala govt

[Mahesh M]

On 6/8/07, Sandip Bhattacharya <sandip at lug-delhi.org> wrote:
>
> Praveen A wrote:
> >> > This is really a shocking news!!!
> >>
> >> Nothing shocking ... the diversity is very important.
> >
> > ... such a move from a government with stated policy of supporting
> > Free SoftwAreare and knowledge society. The essensial factors for such a
> > society is the participation from everyone involved, transparency of
> > actions ... When actions are not fully in line with the policy it is
> > shocking (it might cease to be shocking when it becomes so common)...
> > first smart city and then now ...
>
> 1. Who do you think a government department should contact if they have
> any IT
>    need? A local LUG? fsf-india? Or would it be normal to give out a
> public tender?
>
> 2. Who do you think should be on the lookout for government tenders, and
> pay the
>    tender fees, put forward their solution and promise support? A local
> LUG? FSF-India?
>    I think FSF-India has better things to do than that.
>
> 3. Who do you think a government department should contact when their
> brand new printer
>    needs to be installed on the Linux desktops? A Local lug? FSF-India? If
> you look at how
>    Linux newbies are treated in any LUG (in India, or anywhere else), I
> think not(try saying
>    RTFM to a government department?).
>
> If we are interested in seeing Free software being used widely in
> government adhering to Free
> software principles, we should be setting up a completely commercial
> entity to do so, whose
> primary work would be to do 1,2,3.
>
> There is no point being shocked, otherwise.
>
> - Sandip
>
>
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I agreee with Sandeeps' view... Unless anything like a commercial
institution come up locally, we wont be noticed. Govt works are completly
strict. Its not a user group tat they would try to contact but an
organisation tat is wel established.
Is anything tat we do ever consulted with them? We never do any
communication of this sort with them, then how can we expect them to
communicate?

Why is there a problem with the distro at all? If we cant provide sevices as
an organisation (like RH, services that are well defined), then atleast we
must not critisise them. We have to just make sure that they dont become a
monopoly as such. Let it not be that their word is the final as far as
desicions are concerned. Thats all.
Also the MoU must be made public. I agree with Praveen in that part.
-- 
Mahesh

It takes 43 muscles to frown and 17 to smile,
But it doesnt take any to sit there with a dumb look on your face...
http://maheshmukundan.blogspot.com/