+1 Lava Kafle Ms by Research in Computer Science Kathmandu University cell: 9841224387 9801034557
On Tue, Sep 18, 2012 at 1:28 PM, Chandan Gupta <[email protected]>wrote: > Awesome! > +1 > > On Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 6:48 PM, Amarendra K Yadav > <[email protected]>wrote: > >> +1 >> >> >> On Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 11:19 AM, Hempal Shrestha < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Dear FOSSians, >>> >>> Thanks to Emilia Terzon for carrying out this story in the Front page of >>> the Republica Daily Newspaper. >>> >>> With kind regards >>> >>> Hempal Shrestha >>> >>> >>> Story Link: >>> http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=41759 >>> Epaper Link: >>> http://e.myrepublica.com/component/flippingbook/book/1007-republica-15-september-2012/1-republica.html >>> >>> FOSS fans hype up for Software Freedom Day >>> >>> * EMILIA TERZON * >>> KATHMANDU, Sept 15: Pokhara´s Khom Raj Sharma is your typical free and >>> open-source software (FOSS) enthusiast: he loves computers, browsing the >>> Internet, and is a self-confessed IT geek. >>> >>> But he can´t see any of the information displayed on his computer >>> monitor. “Disability is just diversity of the human race,” he said of his >>> profound blindness. >>> >>> Born in a rural village where nobody else was blind, the 28-year-old is >>> a major inspiration today to a niche IT community quietly growing across >>> Nepal in the last 10 years. >>> >>> First coined globally in the 90s, FOSS promotes the use of computer >>> software that is both free to download and use, and can be modified to suit >>> an individual user´s needs. >>> >>> Unlike expensive market dominators - such as Adobe Photoshop and >>> Microsoft Word - these programs have no pricetag or copyright licenses >>> preventing their evolution. >>> >>> Hempal Shrestha, founder of FOSS Nepal, said its local active fan base >>> is relatively small - in the thousands - and mostly comprised IT >>> professionals, fanatics and students. >>> >>> Those participating unknowingly, however, are innumerable. Mozilla´s web >>> browser and email software, Firefox and Thunderbird, are two widely >>> downloaded examples of FOSS. >>> >>> For Pradeep Mahato, operator of the Bishwanath Institute of Computer >>> (BIC) in Chitwan that opened this year, the founding “flossophy” >>> (philosophy) behind it is “freedom”. >>> >>> Mahato, who teaches his students at BIC solely in FOSS, said the >>> movement is all about “freedom to use, freedom to share, and freedom to >>> modify”. >>> >>> Of course, for a country like Nepal, where piracy of software and >>> illegal downloading is rampant, the “free” is this statement almost seems >>> like a non-issue. >>> >>> Yet its followers say FOSS offers an alternative to illegal activity; >>> giving poorer Nepalese access to more programs while encouraging creativity >>> in the IT community. >>> >>> >>> >>> For instance, Mahato uses a version of the FOSS operating system, Linux, >>> on his personal laptop that´s modified to display and navigate purely in >>> Hindi and Nepali. >>> >>> Sharma also uses Linux, Firefox, and a FOSS screen reader for the >>> visually impaired called Nonvisual Desktop Access (NVDA). >>> >>> “FOSS is especially important for the visually impaired in Nepal because >>> most of them are from poor backgrounds,” said Sharma. >>> >>> “Having access to IT for reading is a big challenge. It´s beyond their >>> expectations. FOSS makes it accessible and affordable for them.” >>> >>> Mahato said other benefits to his 50 students include software that´s >>> free of computer viruses and general cost cutting. >>> >>> “They are always trying to make their custom desktop interface unique >>> from other Linux desktops,” he said of his students. >>> >>> Yet there are setbacks to FOSS. Many of these programs require training >>> to install and learn, and modifying software is something best left to >>> those with IT skills. >>> >>> Some programs, like Linux affiliated software, are often incompatible >>> with non-FOSS operating systems used widely, like Windows, making file >>> sharing complicated. >>> >>> Shrestha, Mahato, and Sharma will be just some of those celebrating at >>> IT events held across the world this Saturday for Software Freedom Day. >>> >>> Yet they said FOSS has a long way to go before it makes it into the >>> mainstream as a common business and personal practice. >>> >>> “The business and government sectors need to be strong. They shouldn´t >>> be using pirated software when they could save so much money with FOSS,” >>> said Shrestha. >>> >>> Some NGOs, like the United Nations´ Nepalese wing, have been moving >>> towards widespread implementation of this software within their >>> administration. >>> >>> “The first advocates of this need to really put our efforts together and >>> make it happen for a developing country,” said Sharma. >>> >>> Sharma is today dedicated to teaching other visually impaired Nepalese >>> how to use NVDA via his non-profit Pokhara training centre. >>> >>> “When I went blind, I felt like I was the only person in the world >>> facing that challenge. People were negative because they´d never seen >>> people like me doing these things. >>> >>> “I made a decision to change that. The world is not limited. It is so >>> important to encourage social initiatives that really empower people.” >>> >>> >>> Published on 2012-09-15 07:00:23 >>> >>> -- >>> With kind regards, >>> >>> Hempal Shrestha >>> FOSS Nepal Community >>> Putalisadak, Near Share Market, >>> Kathmnadu, Nepal >>> +977-1-4261459 (O) / +977-9851077031(M) >>> >>> -- >>> FOSS Nepal mailing list: [email protected] >>> http://groups.google.com/group/foss-nepal >>> To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] >>> >>> Mailing List Guidelines: >>> http://wiki.fossnepal.org/index.php?title=Mailing_List_Guidelines >>> Community website: http://www.fossnepal.org/ >>> >> >> -- >> FOSS Nepal mailing list: [email protected] >> http://groups.google.com/group/foss-nepal >> To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] >> >> Mailing List Guidelines: >> http://wiki.fossnepal.org/index.php?title=Mailing_List_Guidelines >> Community website: http://www.fossnepal.org/ >> > > -- > FOSS Nepal mailing list: [email protected] > http://groups.google.com/group/foss-nepal > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] > > Mailing List Guidelines: > http://wiki.fossnepal.org/index.php?title=Mailing_List_Guidelines > Community website: http://www.fossnepal.org/ > -- FOSS Nepal mailing list: [email protected] http://groups.google.com/group/foss-nepal To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] Mailing List Guidelines: http://wiki.fossnepal.org/index.php?title=Mailing_List_Guidelines Community website: http://www.fossnepal.org/
