[FSUG-Bangalore] GNU grazing on the 22nd November

[renuka prasad]

On Sat, Nov 22, 2008 at 9:39 PM, renuka prasad <renukaprasadb at gmail.com>wrote:

>
>
> On Sat, Nov 22, 2008 at 8:50 PM, Vikram Vincent <vincentvikram at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> Meeting attended by:
>> Senthil
>> Vikram
>> Balaji
>> Justin
>> Rakesh
>> Arun
>> Rafeek
>> Rasinesh
>> Krishna Kumar
>> Nidhin
>> Nirmal
>>
>> Surendra
>>
>> Minutes of the meeting:
>> The agenda discussed was the VTU-Microsoft tie up.
>> Equivalent to providing free tobacco to students and getting them hooked.
>> NRCFOSS and other syllabus focussing on free sofware and open standards
>> are already available.
>> Many institutions like IISc and IITs are also good examples.
>> Free software alternates to be suggested to VTU instead of proprietary
>> software.
>> "Say no to vendor lock-in in education" campaign
>> Alternate catchy titles:
>> Today's dreamspark tomorrow's dark dreams
>> etc...
>>
>> Awareness campaign vigil on the 29th of September at 5PM at either Town
>> Hall or Gandhi statue, MG road.
>>
>> Ideas for the campaign:
>> -- tying hands and books with hand cuffs
>> -- humourous posters.
>>
>>
>>  Since multiple groups and teams will collaborate on this campaign it was
>> decided to have all participate under the joint banner of "Volunteers for
>> Free Software – Karnataka"
>>
>> The participating groups are:
>>
>> -- Swatantra.Org
>>
>> -- Kannada bloggers
>>
>> -- C3 computing centre
>>
>> -- FSUG Bangalore
>>
>> -- Anybody else
>>
>
> Where are the people who are associated with VTU?
>
> The above plan and below things looks very nice for a general protest
> against the tie ups mentioned above, but without a single concern for all
> those who are associated with VTU i think this will not be very effective
> w.r.t VTU-M$ tie-up.
>
> First all of us have to understand how university is functioning.
>
> Where are the Management , Priciapals,BOE chairmans, Representation from
> Different colleges , BOE committee members , Syllabus Board ,  (policy
> makers / enforcing authorities / applying bodies ) without having a single
> person associated with the protest i feel it would not be very effective ...
>
> Whatever / whoever approaches finally it is voice from the people who are
> associated with the university has to be raised and we have to find a way of
> involving those first .
>
> We are already late -------- problem is we are lazy ( i am referring myself
> and others within VTU like me )
> Microsoft / IBM /Sun / Infosys / Wipro /Adobe ...etc etc has already
> identified representatives in each college and are paid as par to the
> industries for imparting the proprietary technologies with and also apart
> from curriculum.....
>
> I am seeing regular circulars where by default each college has to depute
> faculties / colleges for thier regular workshops and all those circulars are
> coming under VC -letter pad
>
> Two satellites regularly braodcasts tutorials / courses about the
> proprietary technologies ---
>
> What are the ways left for us to tackle
> ............................................????????
>
> So my suggestion is to make first students / faculties /
> HOD/Pricipals/Management associated with VTU aware about the problems of
> having proprietary technologies in the curriculum , and awareness has to
> happen in each and every campus
>
> ( if we suggest the changes ----------------- who are the people who will
> train the trainers and who will give any support whenever required , these
> are the question i have already faced when i previously approached for using
> the alternate for TALLY -- we should be ready with answers - is what i
> meant.....
>
> First of all we should see that free software community representatives are
> invloved in syllabus framing commitee --- without that how will any one even
> look at the posssibilities......................who are the people whom they
> can involve  in the board of syllabus framing commitee....
> How can any one invlove a stranger in the commitee --------these are the
> challenges that we need to face ------------Thats why first we should take
> people associated with the university in to confidence and then proceed ...
>
> Involving people who are associated with VTU is as important as having a
> awareness program / protest / syllabus review .............
>
> Think abt this and lets work keeping this important point in
> mind---------------is my suggestion ..
>
>
Once the syllabus is changed -- next four years -- syllabus will not be
changed at all. so what next?

another important information for you all is that
The best colleges ( 11 -15 colleges in karnataka who are autonomous ) are
not getting effected by this tie-up ( little bit of relief )

-- i initially was tensed up while i read the news came from parthan ( sorry
if mistyped ) , but later then realized -------------- but the HOD
/faculties / Principals /management of the autonomous may be supporting the
Proprietary technologies , we should adress this ----

I hope Mr Senthil last time put some effort on this involving few --later we
left may be because every one got busy in their work   ( 6 months back ,
dont know exact time )

>
>
>>
>> Responsibilities:
>> Press meet: Jaykumar, Justin
>> Try to involve Girish Karnad or UR Ananta Murthy, CK Meena, Nemichandra,
>> Arundathi Nag -- Senthil, Balaji
>> DTP and design: Arun and Rakesh
>> Police permission: Vikram
>> Prepare team to meet VTU special officer to give representation: SurendraPlease fill in any details I may have missed out.
>>
> Vikram Vincent
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>>
>
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