We must organise something.
On Wed, 2003-01-08 at 16:25, Ashoke Ranjan Thakur wrote: > This is for ilug members. I am part of your network because Dr.Ranjan was > my friend. I follow the mails regularly on a personal basis. As you can > see Richard Stallman would be visiting Calcutta as a guest of Jadavpur > University from 17th to 19 th February. If ilug-cal wants to organise > something you may get in touch with me at your earliest. > My name and address follows: > Prof.Ashoke Ranjan Thakur > Pro-Vice Chancellor > Jadavpur University > Tel: 2414-6001/6000 (ask for me) > E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > Date: Mon, 06 Jan 2003 15:50:17 -0500 > From: Richard Stallman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: Visiting Kolkata > > We would take care of your Pune to Calcutta and Calcutta to Delhi by > Economy class airfare and it would be our pleasure to provide you with > local hospitality during your stay in Calcutta. Kindly confirm the dates > at your earliest convenience. > > Ok, let's confirm Feb 17-19. (Maybe I can stay till Feb 20-- I should > be able to tell you that by the start of Feb.) > > What should the speech topic be? > > Here's the info packet about my speeches. > > My usual speech about the Free Software Movement and GNU takes between > 2 and 2.5 hours. That typically includes over one and a half hours of > my speaking, plus plenty of time for questions, because people usually > want to ask a lot of questions. > > I can manage to squeeze a speech into an hour, but some topics will be > omitted and there will be no time for questions. Once we are going to > the trouble and expense of having me come and speak, we may as well do > a thorough job of it. > > A typical title would be this: > > The Free Software Movement and the GNU/Linux Operating System > > There are other topics I speak about, such as > > Copyright vs Community in the Age of Computer Networks > > and > > The Danger of Software Patents > > These topics take just an hour. > > I can also possibly speak about some other topic if you suggest one. > > > Abstract: > > For a speech about the Free Software Movement and GNU/Linux, you > can use this abstract: > > Richard Stallman will speak about the purpose, goals, philosophy, > methods, status, and future prospects of the GNU operating system, > which in combination with the kernel Linux is now used by an > estimated 17 to 20 million users world wide. > > For Copyright vs Community, you can use this abstract: > > Copyright developed in the age of the printing press, and was designed > to fit with the system of centralized copying imposed by the printing > press. But the copyright system does not fit well with computer > networks, and only draconian punishments can enforce it. > > The global corporations that profit from copyright are lobbying > for draconian punishments, and to increase their copyright powers, > while suppressing public access to technology. But if we > seriously hope to serve the only legitimate purpose of > copyright--to promote progress, for the benefit of the > public--then we must make changes in the other direction. > > For Against Software Patents, you can use this abstract: > > Richard Stallman will explain how software patents obstruct > software development. Software patents are patents that cover > software ideas. They restrict the development of software, so > that every design decision brings a risk of getting sued. Patents > in other fields restrict factories, but software patents restrict > every computer user. Economic research shows that they even > retard progress. > > > Asking for the text: > > I don't write my speeches in advance--it would take too much time. > However, transcripts of my past speeches are available. > > > > Richard Stallman > 545 Tech Sq rm 425 > Cambridge, MA 02139 > USA > > > > -- > To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the body > "unsubscribe ilug-cal" and an empty subject line. > FAQ: http://www.ilug-cal.org/node.php?id=3 -- To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the body "unsubscribe ilug-cal" and an empty subject line. FAQ: http://www.ilug-cal.org/node.php?id=3
