Talking about government websites, My experience working with a government agency was,
the man in charge of the gov office, outsources the job at half the money he receives, and at the final time of payment, he just gave 80% of what was promised, stating, 20% mero commission. Thank you very much!! I just hope that projects related IT whether it be website building or software development are proceeded in standard manner with proper QA to assure final product. There doesn't seem a standard body to regulate all these. BTW, isn't NITC working on this? The result of lack of QA was the iranian hack sometime back, and im sure there are dozens more left to be defaced. My two cent On Jan 4, 3:56 pm, Sagun <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > One should not confuse oneself with OLPC is only FOSS. One should also be > aware that OLPC is not a cheap solution for our economy though it seems like > cheap for a person who earns 15 k a month in cities. But its a huge > investment for government.OLPC has a good promise of bringing about cheap > connectivity in the rural areas. But have we considered the cost for the > infrastructure along with 100 $ laptop cost. Have we considered cost of > administration (normally 15 %). Have we considered the cost of training the > teachers ? Have we considered cost of lobbying for funds? It is certainly > not just 100 $ or what ever the new price of OLPC laptops is. > > People often mistake getting aid from donor agencies as one of the > solution. Well my friends I am skeptical about this. For now untill next 20 > years major priority for government and people should be proper investment > in health and nutrition in the villages, not OLPC. Education can be properly > delivered with well trained teachers not OLPC. We have to train the teachers > first. > > Little anecdote from Phulchoki school where LTSP was deployed: If you go and > meet a teacher who teaches English. You can't imagine what his engish level > is ( I am not trying to offend him but just letting you know the reality) > and how he dresses up, and what do you expect students to learn from him. > Its not the teacher's mistake nor its our education system. Its just that > our education system is too old, we need to have a new one. Shishir and his > team has experience from Dang, Daya has experience from Dailekh, do you guys > think our teachers have enough level of knowledge, skills and discipline. I > would say we don't need OLPC right now we need to have a new school > education system. > > OLPC may seem to be appealing for us, computer geeks who are in cities and > attended a private schools. It may also be appealing for our corrupt > beurocrats and politicians. It can be a good business opportunity for > NegroPonte and donor organizations. But for Nepalese, it would be like > keeping an Elephant in house. I also agree with you Himanshu, that OLPC has > prospects, I personally like the product and the activities built on top of > it. But I strongly disagree if it should be bought by our government. > Community schools can order them, private schools can order them or > individuals can order them if they want, but it will be unfair to add yet > another burder for people living under poverty line for yet another > experimental tool. If government is eager to spend the same amount they > should spend on upgrading the education system in a whole not just a tool. > > The results of our education system can be seen in a busy traffic of a city > where educated people try to break all the rules. People don't know how to > stand in queues and wait for their turns. Do you expect these teachers to > learn OLPC usage and maintainance and help the students. I would say NO, if > else correct me. First priority of our schools today should be teach ethics, > basic reading, writing and mathematics. We dont need OLPC for that. We need > to upgrade our school system. > > If you come to west then you will know how people from developed countries > are. They don't invest any money on anything without a long term prospect of > return. Money need not be just the return, it could be huge amount of data > of interest of national security, business secret and many more. Have you > noticed that FOSS is developed in company level in developed countries but > in developing ones, it is done in personal level. > > My opinion is OLPC is a good solution but we are not ready yet for it. We > need a strong will from government for a better education system first then > in 10 or 20 years we can be sure that investment in OLPC will not go in > vain. > > On Jan 3, 2008 10:04 PM, Himanshu <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Some very interesting ideas/opinions by everyone. > > > However has anyone taken into consideration the subject of piracy? In > > a country like Nepal where internet penetration is low in terms of > > both availability and bandwith the majority of potential FOSS users > > are customers of cheap and readily available pirated software. > > > Also when it comes to benefiting the most needy i.e. students in all > > parts of the country I think OLPC is a great possibility. I am not > > aware if there are any plans to bring OLPC to Nepali kids who can > > benefit a lot from it. Countries that are bringing OLPC to bring > > computing to the masses are beginning to realize its potential and I > > hope Nepal can do the same. > > > -Himanshu > > > On Jan 3, 2:24 pm, Sagun <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Have you seen websites of different government agencies? They all have > > > different look and feel. different navigation and different ways to > > present > > > information. > > > > Right now government agencies are not providing any particular services > > > (like paying tax, registering names, or any ) except for information. > > But > > > its inevitable that it will come and has to come in Nepal too. One of > > the > > > most important thing about government websites is that they should be > > > uniform. It shouldnt be caotic. > > > > I am not just talking about the websites but also the softwares, > > information > > > systems, networks, standards. They have to be standard and > > interconnected. > > > There shouldn't be replicated and should be updated if eGovernnece is > > going > > > to be deployed ever. (lots of money is being spent on eGovernence right > > now) > > > > FOSS community should come forward to make a draft for standards in > > > protocols, designs, information architecture and information > > presentation > > > and that should be used by all the ministries, governmental agencies and > > > constitutional agencies. No one should be mistaken that FOSS will do it > > as a > > > free service. It should be and has to be paid service but the products > > has > > > to be released to open source community. Different companies and > > contractors > > > should come forward to build the standards specifications and softwares. > > > This has to be addressed and we should not fumble on basic things like > > > alternative solutions, migration solutions, or localization. We have > > done > > > that for 2 years and more. Now it should come from government. Now we > > need > > > some real work. We need something in preparation for the federal > > republic of > > > Nepal. > > > > So in my opinion, we should collaborate with the government on building > > > standards and building open source solutions that can be used by all the > > > government agencies in Nepal from one investment. > > > > If > > > > On Dec 24, 2007 5:08 PM, Bipin Gautam <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > We have some markable outputs in this stage as well. Initially to > > say > > > > > Ministry of General Administration have been using Nepalinux on some > > > > > computers. Planning to move further. > > > > > Wow. and I'd love to see they stick by it. > > > > > >Brihaspati School has Linux Lab > > > > > installed. Brihaspati along with FOSS Nepal Community have > > successfully > > > > > completed first phase of FOSS Training for Other Secondary School > > > > teachers. > > > > > Planning further for advanced trainings and making Vendor > > Independent > > > > > Curriculum to propose. > > > > > i think, now the next strategy for promotion would be to set a BRAND > > > > NAME. Give them something to be proud of their knowledge, for the > > > > knowledge they have OVER the training they attended, which doesn't > > > > demonstrate what or how much have they learnt. > > > > > I propose creating a 6 level of Linux certification exam. (NOT centric > > > > to NepalLinux) From basic to hardcore. Lets give those high school > > > > teachers and students something to be proud of, lets give them > > > > something they would want to have with their bio data and say i did > > > > it. ;) > > > > > Lets set a local brand name... consult with ppl in the ISP sector, > > > > banking sector for the curriculum regarding desktop, server, security > > > > administration and make sure we have their recognition. Lets try > > > > getting the recognition of all big names in Nepalese market with > > > > category of curriculum's and make sure they accept it as they would to > > > > an international curriculum. Something better than RHCE certification > > > > when it comes to quality. We could then, further promote linux > > > > training and workshops everywhere... in affordable price for the exam > > > > (50 rs - 100 rs) we will also promote things like say.... ppl. earning > > > > a trainee or level 5 certification should have say 30 hours of social > > > > service time within 2 years etc. > > > > > We can promote these in college and schools. our selling point will be > > > > the quality of curriculum and recognition here in nepal. Then slowly, > > > > if successful we could aim high and lobby by trying to get the > > > > recognition in the international market. > > > > > I put my time for this cause. Does it sound reasonable? Lets team up. > > > > > > Let me give my answer to its output: > > > > > 1. From next time all people buying computer from those vendors get > > OSS > > > > > softwares to their computers. If possible with manual. > > > > > 2. The vendor will give their customer the alternatives for > > installing > > > > > Windows or linux to that machine. > > > > > 3. If added to it...... They can DualBoot the new machine to 2 OS > > and > > > > ask > > > > > the customer to give a try to FOSS. > > > > > again, cost == time X money :P they charge 300 rs for windows > > > > installation alone if you go they for general repair. New and curious > > > > users are very likely to screw up everything they have setup in a > > > > month, or less :P so i doubt if anyone computer seller will be very > > > > motivated in this point. > > > > > regards, > > > > -bipin > > > > -- > > > Warm Regards, > > > Sagun Dhakhwa > > > > Address at Study: > > > Chalmers University of Technology > > > Gothenburg > > > Sweden > > > > homepage:www.outlines-rnd.com/sagun > > ... > > read more » --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ FOSS Nepal mailing list: [email protected] http://groups.google.com/group/foss-nepal To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Community website: http://www.fossnepal.org/ -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
