[Fsf-india] What is the goal of FSF-India

[E. Krishnan]

On 13 Apr 2002, Khuzaima A. Lakdawala wrote:


> Now is a better time than ever for this list, and indeed for FSF-I, to
> decide which one of the above paths it wants to adopt. So that people
> who don't agree with the stated goal can respectfully depart and
> carry on elsewhere. Otherwise the two camps will be continuously
> bogged down in conflict without getting any work done.

What I've learned from my own experiences with other "social" movements is
that if you really want to make some changes to a system, very often you 
have to accept short term adjustments, which only approximate the long   
term goals. Radical departures from the norm tend to be rejected far too 
often, but you can definitely build on incremental changes pointing
toward the ideal. But it is like walking on a razor edge, since the long
term goals must always be kept in mind by the initiators lest the
practical adjustments tend to deviate far too much from the real goal.
Believe me, I'd tried this and won a few battles.  At the same time, I've 
seen the "extremists" in the rank falling by the dozen.

Metaphors aside, what I'd like to say is that people with some common
purpose can definitely work together, though they may not agree on all   
details.

>   Or, to propagate free
>   software at any cost and my any means 


As far as I could see, nobody said anything about propagating Free 
Software by "any" means or at "any" cost. One trouble of taking an extreme 
position is that  anyone who differs ever so much from the 
position is immediately pushed to the other extreme. 

-- 
Krishnan