On Monday 23 March 2009 13:55:36 jtd wrote: > > here we go - I am on record in saying that one of the biggest > > stumbling blocks to the adoption of FOSS in this country is that > > the FOSS movement here is largely controlled by IT professionals. > > Who else do you think should be in "control"? And isnt this true > everywhere?.
the word 'control' is wrong - 'the majority of FOSS community are IT professionals' is better. Elsewhere there are also a huge number of people who are non-IT professionals who contribute. I remember being on the mailing list of a open source accounting system - 90% of the users and contributors were accountants! Or the developers of GNUmed - most of them are practicing doctors. This is not happening in India. Doctors, lawyers, accountants, merchants, librarians and large numbers of others are just not into software development, even at the end user level. A FOSS alternative to tally will only emerge when some accountant starts developing software - the IT professional does not see the need. > > > Most of these guys are terrified of losing their jobs if all > > software was made free. > > That still does not explain why the babu has to decide against FOSS. the babu consults the professional > > Your point is that > 1) The IT professional does not advise the government correctly not exactly - any foss projects starts when someone scratches an itch - the reason why very little application software emerges in Indian space is that not enough non-IT people are doing this, and the IT professionals do not have this type of itch. > 2) FOSS movement should not be in control of IT pros not exactly - I cannot prescribe what should and should not be. I can only say that it is when non-IT pros in big numbers start developing that the movement will make real headway. > 3) Corruption is partly responsible for FOSS non adoption yes > > To which i add > 4) The few babus who half heartedly venture always hit the > compatibility with M$ roadblock > 5) Tender norms are heavily loaded against FOSS > 6) Non visibility (as opposed to availability) of support at ground > level at time T0 > 7) Utter lack of understanding of the FOSS biz model at all levels. agreed -- regards Kenneth Gonsalves Associate NRC-FOSS http://nrcfosshelpline.in/web/ -- http://mm.glug-bom.org/mailman/listinfo/linuxers
