"To serve humanity with software, software should be free, because software
belongs to human knowledge. Proprietary software does not belong to human
knowledge." (Richard M. Stallman, GNU project founder and Free Software
Foundation president).
however, sudhir does have the freedom to sell proprietory accounts software,
and people have the freedom to buy accounting software.
1) should linux-delhi.org be allowed to promote such software? *only* a vote
by all members can decide this. so let's stop discussing, and start voting. i
propose let's vote by end of next sunday. and based on how many vote, and
what is the outcome of the vote, the decision will be final and binding. so
if you don't vote, tough luck, hold your peace. plus, we do need to ensure
the voting authenticates those who vote, before its someone's pet bot at the
job either way.
2) birbal's anecdote shows to make a line smaller without erasing it, just
draw a longer line. so those who have issues with proprietory software have
really *one* sensible choice: create, help create, free software. isn't this
what rms did and the rest of the thousands of those who work on free sofware?
history has shown that those who have tried to stop, dissuade, throttle, or
even restrain proprietory software creators have consistently failed
miserably. the *only* way to tackle the issue is to *create* free software.
and let the market forces choose. thus, if people still love to use kalculate
and all the other proprietory software out there, so be it. then i will only
hope sudhir keeps his promise of 'giving back' monetorily or otherwise what
the community gives him.
but let's stop cribbing and start figuring out how to create the wealth of
free software in all categories that are our personal itches, if you know
what i mean.
3) if kolkata or bangalore or all the linux-india chapters allow non-free
software promotions on their mailing lists etc, should we allow it as well?
sorry, let a vote by our members decide that.
4) let's just remember one thing: we are linux-delhi. and delhi is not just
an IT-centre, but also the political capital of the country. what we do, say,
advocate, promote, create, in ilug-d will have a far greater impact. delhil
is understood by corporates, businesses, governments, and all, as a very
strategic centre to our indian sub-continent.
okay, enough of flame-baiting.
:-)
LL
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