> luggers...... > > pliss refer to the letter as attached....... > > > ***************************8 > > > Hiyee Luggers, > > There should be no doubt that the most important > places where free software should be advocated and > propagated are schools and colleges. Instead of > trying > to wean away people at a later stage when > they are used to or worse, addicted to proprietary > software, we must educate people about free software > when their exposure to proprietary software is > minimal > and when they are most amenable to absorbing > progressive ideas and beliefs. > > The long term goal of FSF-I/LUG's should of course > be > to ensure that the school and college syllabi are > free > of all proprietary software and > that students are introduced at an early stage to > the > simple philosophy of free software. This would > require > petitioning the various bodies responsible for > framing > these syllabi and that involves > going through a labyrinth of bureaucratic red tape. > This obviously is not an easy goal to achieve > although > we must make a start on this > front sooner rather than later. > > In the mean time, we can involve ourselves in a more > grass roots approach of contacting individual > schools > and colleges and requesting them to arrange talks on > free software to be given by local volunteers of > FSF-I/LUG's. This approach has no major bureaucratic > hurdles, except > perhaps for the convincing of individual principals > or > head masters, and promises the immediate benefit of > more and more young and > impressionable minds getting exposed to the simple > philosophy of free software. > > > Here's a draft plan: > > Volunteers in each town/city/suburb should compile a > list of schools where they could go and give a talk > on > free software and submit this > list to FSF-I/LUG's. FSF-I/LUG's should then in turn > send request letters to these > schools, including the contact details of the > particular volunteers whom the school should contact > for scheduling the talk. > > A preliminary draft of the request letter follows: > > To, > The Principal > name and address of school > > Dear sir or madam, > > Sub: A request for arranging a talk on Free > Software and conducting a workshop on GNU/Linux in > your institution. > > The Free Software Foundation of India FSF-I and > the LUG ( Linux Users Group ), is a non-profit > organisation formed for the purpose of advocating > and > propagating the use and development of Free Software > in India. Please see the enclosed literature for > an > explanation of and a brief introduction to Free > Software. Please also visit our website at > www.fsf.org.in and http://www.ilug-bom.org.in, for > further information on our activities and goals. > > As part of our efforts to spread awareness > and educate people about Free Software and > Gnu/Linux, > we have started a program of holding talks in > schools and colleges and technical institutions, > with > the aim of exposing youngsters to the simple > philosophy behind Free Software and educating them > aboutthe moral, ethical, and practical advantages of > using and developing Free Software along with a > 2-3 > workshop on basics of GNU/Linux from the perspective > of enhancing the students technical vocabulary. > > We believe that this exposure is important for > all > students who have any interest or connection with > computers and computer software, as it will enable > them to make a more informed choice, based on > virtues > other than mere technical and marketing facts, when > the time comes for them to choose which software to > study, use, buy or develop. > > Sir / madam, we hereby request you to arrange > for > such a talk to be given in your institution by one > or > more local volunteers of our organisation. The names > and contact details of the volunteers with whom you > can discuss the schedule of the talk are as follows: > > 1. volunteer name and contact details > 2. volunteer name and contact details > > We propose addressing this talk to students of > classes SE,TE and BE. However, we leave the actual > composition of the target audience entirely up to > your > discretion and judgment depending on the current > level of exposure of your students to computers and > computer software. > > You may please distribute the enclosed > literature > on Free Software/Linux among the intended audience > as > a preparatory step in advance of the talk. > > Thank you very much for your cooperation and > time. > > Yours sincerely, > Sd. > for > Free Software Foundation of India > & > Linux User Group of Bombay > > > > ************************************* > > This letter has been framed by "Khuzaima A. > Lakdawala", and i owe him due > for every word and idea in here. Just that i have > modified parts to include > the LUG and Linux as part of our overall agenda. > > > ********************** > > > Trevor Warren >
===== ( >- LINUX, It's all about CHOICE -< ) /~\ __ http://www.qmailtheeasyway.com __ /~\ | \) / mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED] \ (/ | |_|_ \ Urgent ->[EMAIL PROTECTED] / _|_| \___________________________________/ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Greetings - Send FREE e-cards for every occasion! http://greetings.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ http://mm.ilug-bom.org.in/mailman/listinfo/linuxers
