[FSF India] HELP SOUGHT: Software for reading clubs...

[Frederick Noronha]

Dear FSF-Indiaers:

This may be a tall order. Was wondering if one could get some help from
anyone on this list to build a small software program to help us with our
tiny Magazines Initiative, a not-for-profit venture that is carried on here
on a voluntary basis.

This Initiative seeks to put local schools and clubs in touch with potential
supporters abroad, who would donate about $100 per year (to any school or
club of their choice) to enable the latter to get access to useful
magazines. 

We calculate that with a $100 equivalent donation, any school can subscribe
to 25-27 magazines each month, for one full year. This means that the
students or club members have access to a wide range of quality reading
material (general knowledge, science education, current affairs, news
magazines, sports, even IT mags without CDs). The end goal is to widen the
reading habit locally and give people access to useful and inexpensive
information in this information-driven age.

We are still at an early stage of the project. It has been going on
intermittently for the past two years. So far, about half a dozen schools
have been covered. Due to the considerable paperwork involved, it is
difficult to replicate this scheme to more schools/clubs. Inspite of the
fact that there are many willing to come forward with support for such
institutions, when we put out appeals via the Internet, it takes time and
energy to manually complete the paperwork... update the list of magazines,
their subscription prices, etc. We feel that if we had some software, our
work would be more effective, and coverage could be possibly increased.

Does anyone agree with our goals?

What is required is a software to undertake the following tasks:
* Build a simple list (database?) of magazines available, their current
subscription, address to where subscription money is to be sent, whether to
be sent as DD/MO/etc, and special temporary subscription offers if any. (See
details enlisted below.)
* Build a 'DD-drafting software'. After a list of magazines is selected from
the above module, it would immediately generate a statement to the bank,
instructing the bank to create DDs in favour of specific parties (i.e. the
magazine publishers), the amount of the DD, on which centres (Bombay, Delhi,
etc) and the commission being charged by the bank.
* Further, another module could keep a list of the schools/clubs being
currently supported, list of the magazines they are receiving and uptil
which date the magazines are subscribed till. This is for our records.
* Lastly, another module could generate a report for the school --
intimating them which magazines they would be receiving, the details of the
DD by which the payment was made (DD number and date) and when the DD was
despatched by post. This is meant to ensure that the schools/clubs could
take up cases of non-receipt of magazines, if any, directly with the
publishers.

Could any kind soul help us generate such a program? Our preferences are for
a Linux-based software, and one that runs without XWindows (in terminal
mode). I'm not a technical person, so don't know whether what I'm asking for
makes sense in the first place. 

But if some students could take up this challenge as their college project,
it would be great. Possibly, this software could be used by others in the
country who want to take advantage of the large number of inexpensive
magazines available across India... and also the crying need for people to
get access to reading material at public centres.

We could perhaps be able to offer a limited amount of financial support for
those undertaking this work. Kindly note that ours is a wholly unfunded
project, and zero-funds is spend on administrative charges for the same.
Funding received is sent directly to the schools or clubs, and the aim is
that every rupee goes towards a magazine subscription. We chose magazines
instead of books because these tend to be more contemporary, have more
utilitarian value, and are above all more inexpensive.

If you feel this idea is worth persuing, do get in touch with me via
fred@bytesforall.org

Regards, Frederick Noronha 
Goa.

PS: Below is a suggestion for the formats of some of the forms generated by
the 'MagIni' (Magazine Initiative) software:

#1
==========================================================================
LIST OF MAGAZINES AVAILABLE   (This is a easy-to-read listing)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Serial No.  Name of mag	  Address   Description     Price   Special rates
==========================================================================
NOTE: This requires to be updated regularly, as the subscription prices
change without notice. In addition, one should have the facility to choose
mags from this list, which would then generate the form below... This form
should be printable (possibly as a txt file, or even generated into an
email) so that it could be sent to schools who are not part of the project
yet, and might want to understand what it involves.

#2
==========================================================================
BANK DEMAND DRAFT 'DRAFTING' PRINTOUT
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Draft in favour of	Place		Rs 		Bank's commission


			TOTAL		Rs		Rs
==========================================================================
NOTE: This form is generated after the magazines are ticked off (or selected
in any other way) from the list above. This would minimise the monotony
involved in calculating the budget required for a particular school, and
also calculating the amount to be paid to the bank for the DDs and the
bank's commission. This form too needs to be printable, or despatched via
email to the bank. 

#3
==========================================================================
LIST OF SCHOOLS CURRENTLY PART OF THE MAGS. INITIATIVE SCHEME
Name of school		Magazines received	Subscription valid till
==========================================================================
NOTE: This is for our records. There could be some additional feature for
alerting (via email?) when the mag subscriptions are drawing to an end.

#4
==========================================================================
REPORT FOR INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS
Mags being subscribed	DD No	DD Date		Posted to mag on date:


==========================================================================

That's it. Simple or asking for too much?
FN
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