On Jun 21, 2008, at 9:23 PM, jaHsaaymi wrote:
> > The IT in Nepal is still way off where I want it to be. I want IT in > Nepal to be about chip design and manufacturing, developing new > materials, research in physics for quantum computers, etc. etc. > > I am pretty sure that is not going to happen in the near future. The > most we can do right now is probably operating systems, grid > computing, some web architectures, etc. More of the software side. > > I know computers have made a lot of things possible and biotech is not > an exception. We could even argue that without google nothing would be > just as fast, but I doubt it in the case of bio stuff. > > One of the things that I realized when I shifted my focus from > computers to biology was that in biology everything takes a heck of a > lot of time. In computers, I can read a manual and then work it out > the whole night or the week and then things will work; I might need to > put in some of my smarts to get around some problems but it is just in > the brain; well perhaps not always so, but most of the time. > > In biology, if you want to culture a particular cell line, it might > take a several years to get the cells; several years to get permission > and make sure the safety issues. And finally you got all your > chemicals and then start the process as described by someone and the > cells just die... It might take weeks to just find out if the > particular thing you see are the cells you want, and you need millions > of dollars worth of equipment to do that. > > It is difficult to setup an opensource bio club and then start working > on it. It simply requires big money only governments can put it, and > the results are not guaranteed. > > --------------- > > Nepal is rich in biodiversity that we need to take care of for the > rest of the world and hopefully make some money out of it too. About > IT, I would think there is nothing inherent in Nepal that gives Nepal > an edge, except perhaps cheaper labor. We are free to pursue open > source things, and that is a freedom we should cherish. At least the > government does not yet think the word 'freedom' is something that is > used to overthrow them.... > > I hope most of us got interested in IT because of the beauty of > programming and the pleasure in the art, rather than job prospects. > That there are job prospects is a bonus. > > I think there are many software companies in Nepal because of the > relatively low investment required for such companies. Now what can > the government do about it? It can perhaps decrease taxes to attract > more investment, but if the taxes from the main industries are not > coming, where will the taxes come from? We don't want a weak gov. > > Open IT schools? Where are the teachers? > > I would love it if gov. started a materials science lab to do > fundamental electronics research to make new materials for better > chips... but can we compete with Intel? Can be compete with the > developed nations in that? Definitely not, so that would not be a > priority area.... > > In conclusion, buying gene sequencing machine, creating crops that > give better yield, researching medicinal value of plants in this area, > equipping hospitals with higher tech diagnostics is more of a priority > than investing directly on IT. IT will prosper even with this funding > because hospitals will need software, bio-labs will need software, > sequenced genes need to be data mined... > Wow!! gene sequencing machine, cool (I think I got a topic to stumble tonight). > ----------- > > jaH > > On Jun 20, 1:31 pm, Ankur Sharma <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> On Jun 20, 2008, at 10:33 PM, jaHsaaymi wrote: >> >> >> >>> Sorry for being in the wrong forum. Personally I think the biotech >>> vision is more important than the IT things in Nepal as IT is >>> bound to >>> happen even without the support and bio-tech is not going to happen >>> without it. >> >> Thinking might also be done with ones perspective and your argument >> might be correct, but when there is a discusion involving hence and >> thence and proving superiority of ones field and regarding others as >> "antonymous" I want to add one thing. >> IT is a tool and just a tool, Open Source is philosophy and our group >> adheres the view. Now what's biotech? >> I found the literal definition as : >> biotechnology |ˌbīōtekˈnäləjē| >> noun >> the exploitation of biological processes for industrial and other >> purposes, esp. the genetic manipulation of microorganisms for the >> production of antibiotics, hormones, etc. Any technological >> application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or >> derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for >> specific >> I don't see any harm or wrong in prospecting Bio-tech and IT or even >> more specifically Open Source. Furthermore amalgamation of two will >> certainly benefit, let's encourage the argument and ideas of >> increasing such things. >> At last I didn't understand why IT would develop by itself ? Is it a >> magic wand that philosopher will point at you and say abaracadabra >> and >> you become Master of IT. Don't forget how much world economy have >> contributed and benefited from IT, and when that was happening think >> what would have happened if biotechnology was solely funded (I mean >> without use of IT). I strongly believe even biotechnology wouldn't >> have been to this peak without usages of IT. >> >>> jaH >> >>> On Jun 19, 3:32 pm, "Shankar Pokharel" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>>> Sagun, >> >>>> On Tue, Jun 17, 2008 at 2:43 PM, Sagun <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>>> wrote: >>>>> As some of you must have known that the CPN Maoist has decided to >>>>> alot 2.5 >>>>> crores in research and development and it is being said that >>>>> science and >>>>> technology is one of their top priorities. Right now their >>>>> priority is >>>>> biotechnology but IT can also be used as a tool for boost in the >>>>> economy. >> >>>> I was unaware of this and I'm lil bit confused with this. Is CPN >>>> Maoist(the party) going to spend 2.5 crore in research and devt or >>>> will that be from the "to be formed" government's budget? >> >>>>> We are trying to make a proposal to the Maoist leadership on >>>>> science and >>>>> technology especially on IT plans. Our goal is to help government >>>>> to bring a >> >>>> And who does the term "we" refer to? Is it any particular >>>> organization/group? >> >>>> ~Shankar >> >>>>> considerable amount of investment from abroad and create more and >>>>> more good >>>>> paid jobs. Right now our network has contributers from the US, >>>>> Europe and >>>>> Asia pacific. I think if FOSS Nepal can make a proposal of >>>>> framework we can >>>>> put the agendas on FOSS in the IT policy proposal (which can be >>>>> the >>>>> elaborate form of vision paper that Subir dai , Hempal dai and >>>>> Akhil dai >>>>> made 3 or 4 years back). I would like to request the current body >>>>> under >>>>> Subir leadership to start discussions on what could be suggested >>>>> to the >>>>> future government. We had tried a lot in past (when i was in >>>>> Nepal) to >>>>> convince the government about FOSS Nepal's vision and now I think >>>>> its a >>>>> better opportunity because, the party is itself showing some >>>>> interest in the >>>>> technology. >> >>>>> Not just the core team, there are many silent subscribers in the >>>>> mailing >>>>> list who are business leaders, academicians and professionals who >>>>> can >>>>> contribute to us. I think their voice and vision will be very >>>>> important for >>>>> the proposal. >> >>>>> -- >>>>> Warm Regards, >>>>> S Dhakhwa > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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/ -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
