[Fsf-friends] Statement of FSF India board on recent incidents

[krishnakant Mane]

On 29/11/2008, Arun M <arun at gnu.org.in> wrote:
>> Why is FSF India trying to divide the existing commitee with this sort of
>> approach.What they should be ideally doing is to encourage setting up of
>> local chapters and strengthening the movement. But with this sort of stand
>> and approach they are in fact killing the movement, killing the enthu
>> among
>> the people who are a part of the movement. Stating that " FSF India is not
>> a
>> mass organisation" is itself in contradiction to what the founder of Free
>> Software Movement, Mr. Richard's speaks, that of majority of people using
>> and evangelising free software.
>
> FSF is not Free Software Movement. FSF and its sister organisations tries to
> give leadership to free software movement.
>
The proper approach should be to work at adding more practical
usability to free software and letting more and more people become
aware of "why free software ".  An approach I would suggest is to at
least keep away internal politics and personal grudges if any and
concentrate on our single grudge that is denying of the technology
freedom by all proprietory organisations and create unified policies
that help the cause of our freedom.  All my friends and fellow hackers
are so focused on the very freedom movement and the ways to achieve
it, I think we have to send that same signal to outsiders including
proprietory organisations that "we are one, our goal is one and we
will achieve it " and not "we have different goals and won't really
care ".
Idea of Arun is perfect and I believe that there is only one thing we
all would be afraid of and that is a sabotage of the technology
freedom at the hands of disguised proprietory selfish bennifit makers.
> FSF India would be announcing a policy on local organisations. We do
> understand
> the need for local communities. There again rather than creating new
> communities
> it is better if we can work with local free software user groups and
> other organisations working for the promotion of free software
> philosophy.
> .Yes indeed.  This is a good step arun, For one thing there are people all over the place who would extend their support for this idea.
For example if such a policy is declared, I will be amongst the first
to take the opportunity here in Maharashtra.  As I said we have to
make people aware of how freedom is being denyed to them by others and
the practical aspect of technology freedom which must have now become
clear due to some posts of Renukaprasad who quoted RMS from some of
his chapters.  So people might have their own views and there is no
harm in it as long as they don't attack or damage the free software
movement and its goals.
> Also note that being a sister organisations of FSF, FSF India has to
> follow policies of FSF. If we dont do that we wont be 'FSF India' but
> something else. There are some basic principles under which FSF
> recognised FSF India as a sister organisation. It is not possible to
> change that.
>
> Some of our friends may have different view how FSF India's
> organisations setup be. I respect those view. They are free to take
> their own steps to correct the action. May be  a new organisation
> based on millions of members and elected representatives.  Yes, you
> may be right. You are free to do that. And all of us can work
> together.
> Let there be 1000 more organisations to promote free software.
> We just needs to be watchful of whether these organisations are
> helping community or sabotaging it from with in.
>
Indeed, I second arun's idea with another example.  This is to do with
FSF and FSM itself.  We all know that the 4 principles of free
software can be governed and defended with the help of GPL.  That's
true, many free softwares are licenced under GPL.  but what about
those softwares which are under other licenses which are called "GPL
complying ". There are so many software licenses which come under that
category but the software is still called "free and open source?"  So
similarly there can be more organisations which truely support free
software but are not FSFI or FSF sister organisations for that matter.
> As long as one is promoting philosophy of free software why should we
> worry about which label which organisation which colour!
>

Exactly infact I feel that the best way of having our own personal
views and still work for the noble cause is to have different
organisations and still work on a common goal, while the pathes may be
different or may be policies different.  The only thing as arun said
is to watchout for sabotaj.
We all have seen for last 3 days how different organisations like NSG,
Police and Marin camandos together fought the terror strike.  They are
different organisations which work differently but the aim was just to
liberate Mumbai.
Not just this, different organisations can even help FSFI to offshore
the overload they have on themselves.  For example with my given
expertese in FOSS related accessibility training and employment, I
might like to have an organisation which helps FSF in the field of
only handicap.  So I am free to have my views on it as long as I don't
get waisted interests inside to kill the movement.
Again all these suggestions are my personal and not of FSFI.  Of
course they are copy left and so FSFI is free to agree and use them as
serious ideas.  Only don't forget that "it was kk's idea ha?"*smile*.
happy hacking.
KK