Raghavendra Bhat wrote: > Sanjeev posts: > >>> why should the State fund a particular method > > For the simple ethical reason of not dividing users and prevent > sharing.
But that would make the State insist we all use KDE, with gaelon and mutt. For example ... If the State wishes to encourage uniformity, the diversity of Free (as in chaotic) software would need to be suppressed. > The ultimate goal of the State is the betterment of it > citizens through equitable distribution of technological benefits. I doubt this is the goal of "the State", ie "India". The goals of the State are nowhere mentioned in our Founding Documents (the Constitution, GoI Acts of 1935 and 1947, etc). The nearest we have are the "Guiding Directives", explicitly non-enforcable. These Articles (43 -49?) can be held to construe "betterment of citizens" (heck, even the Preamble will grant that), but they do not specify "through ...". The State has goals. The State should move towards those goals. The State should not, in general, get involved in the _methods_ to achive those goals. If Free Software helps Literacy, and if the State sees Literacy as a goal, I can envisage a reason for the State to fund Free Software, or Courseware, in Literacy Education. But I do not see why, as in you original post, the State should fund, encourage, or even get involved with Free Software as *an end in itself*. -- Sanjeev _______________________________________________ ilugd mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://frodo.hserus.net/mailman/listinfo/ilugd
