[Fsf-india] IT Policy Govt of Kerala

[Raju Mathur]

Hi Khuzaima,

>>>>> "klak" == Khuzaima A Lakdawala <klak@giasbm01.vsnl.net.in> writes:

    klak> Raju Mathur <raju@linux-delhi.org> writes:
    >> What's wrong with a technically better solution?  As far as I
    >> know most users (govt depts, companies, home users, etc) don't
    >> give a d*mn about freedom or other such abstract concepts --
    >> they want software which works, which continues working, which
    >> is cheaper and which is supported.  You can definitely go
    >> around trying to educate people about how important freedom is;
    >> if you want to ensure that no one uses free software until they
    >> fully understand and agree with the concept of software
    >> freedom, I think you have a really long road ahead of you.

    klak> Yes, indeed, it's a long road but I truly believe that it's
    klak> the right way. People *will* give a d*mn about freedom when
    klak> they are made aware of it! Unlike some of us who were
    klak> fortunate enough to discover these software freedoms, most
    klak> end-users are not even *aware* of the existence of these
    klak> freedoms and it should be our foremost goal to spread
    klak> awareness of these freedoms. Once that happens, the switch
    klak> to free software will logically follow without us having to
    klak> indulge in complex jugglery of cost-benefit and
    klak> technical-merit facts.

I think you're missing the point here.  What I'm trying to say is,
most people do not care about software freedom, and will not care
about it.  There are issues in the world bigger than that of software
freedom, and while you can change peoples' perceptions of relative
importance of issues within a particular field, it's next to
impossible to change their perception of what's important to them and
what isn't.

For instance, the system administrator in an organisation may consider
freedom the biggest criterion while selecting software; his CTO/CIO
would be considering a number of issues including the ones I'd
mentioned in my earlier message; the MD of the company would only be
concerned about the returns he can show to shareholders, and the
shareholders are only interested in the price of the stock and the
dividends they receive.  Trying to get each of these people to put an
abstract (and probably completely, to them, meaningless) criterion
like software freedom first on their list of priorities is impossible.
There's no harm in trying and striving, but please let's also take a
reality check once in a while and try to see things from another's
point of view.

    klak> OTOH, trying to "sell" free software simply on the basis of
    klak> technological and cost benefits will, at best, only yield
    klak> short-term dividends and is not a sustainable approach to
    klak> propagating free software. Talking about freedom
    klak> *afterwards* -- after we've run into road-blocks on the
    klak> other fronts -- will either sound dubious or mean that we
    klak> need to start all over again!

First rule of marketing: find out what the potential client wants,
/then/ sell him your ideas.  Just forcing the idea of software freedom
down a persons throat is never going to work -- understand his needs
and requirements, then you can wrap your philosophy in the chocolate
of TCO's and stability and get him to swallow it nice and easy and
look! you have a convert!

<rant>

Most free software evangelists seem to take the standpoint, ``You have
no idea what's good for you; I have Heard The Word Of God and am
telling you, You Must Do GNU''.  No one has a monopoly on Truth --
just as all religions are True to their believers, Microsoft's Truth
is as True as the GNU Truth, and the number of people who care about
either is miniscule.  For instance, while there has been the
occasional convert from one religion to another because of
philosophical reasons, backward classes in India didn't convert
because they believed in the superiority of the religion they were
converting to -- they converted because they perceived a better social
and economic opportunity.  That's all I'm asking you to do -- show a
benefit which your listener can relate to.

As for Mr Bhat and his thinly-veiled abuse, it may help him to get
things off his chest (probably save on psychiatrist fees) but it sure
isn't helping the cause of Free Software in any way.

</rant>

Anyway, enough for now, have a Sunday to look forward to... enjoy your
weekend, folks :-)

Regards,

-- Raju

    klak> Regards, Khuzaima

    klak> -- Khuzaima A. Lakdawala

-- 
Raju Mathur          raju@kandalaya.org           http://kandalaya.org/
                     It is the mind that moves