Hi, (we totally lost threading it seems)
I dont think people should email their open source work to this mailinglist. I hope people are active in 1 or more communities and are contributing there were it matters. On github, on joomla.org, just somewhere in a community where they can share their work and get feedback from the people that are working on the same projects. Also, the notion of starting a new FLOSS project is a very strange one. Why would you start a project from scratch? Managing an open source project is a MAJOR undertaking. Just hop on the bandwagon of an existing project and see how you can make yourself useful there. In return, use that project for whatever you are doing in your daily life (like making money) There are very very very few 'pure' Ugandan FLOSS opportunities. Integrations between ERP/accounting systems and the URA or Mobile Money could be one. Or a Drupal module between the Drupal SMS Framework and an SMS provider like Yo! for example. Or a Luganda translation of Firefox. And note, all these 3 examples are part of a bigger project already. Most FLOSS software, if its good, will work anywhere. If it runs here, why not in Kenya, too? Or in Japan? We should really break out of Uganda and join the global developer community. We can learn a lot there. And help where we can. (The search.mountbatten.net server was actually switched off, I started it to show what you can do using available open source. Its not updated and I will switch it off soon as it is eating quite valueable resources.) rgds, Reinier On Wednesday 09 January 2013 08:45:06 [email protected] wrote: > well, several years on and the internal Ugandan open source capacity is > still lacking per the CVs you receive as you said (not so good).... > There has to be a start, encouraging folks to submit their open source > work to the list or suggesting projects that can be coded and made use of > by the list, etc can help i think > > Your search engine works, except its quite slow as compared to google, but > am going to start using it (hope it automatically crawls the web and > indexes all the searches it fails to hit so they are available the next > time i use it) > http://search.mountbatten.net/home.jsp it works! > > > ah, yes, those days: > > > > directory of locally hosted sites: > > http://local.mountbatten.net/ > > > > crawled index of locally hosted sites: > > http://search.mountbatten.net/home.jsp > > > > both are extremely out of date. > > > > Thing is, I didnt use 'Ugandan' Open source to build those 2 sites as a > > research project. I used Drupal for the directory, Apache Nutch for the > > crawler and Apache Lucene for the search engine. > > > > We now use Apache Solr for our search projects, as that provides faceted > > search (and is built on top of Lucene) > > > > We havent contributed to the Apache projects, but are maintaining some of > > the > > drupal search modules. Its a small small part of the big puzzle, but its > > at > > least something. > > > > Happy coding! > > > > rgds, > > > > reinier > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Monday 07 January 2013 10:51:55 [email protected] > > > > wrote: > >> :) This is really interesting, the other side of the coin seems to look > >> > >> like this: any other ways to pass the test? Change the examiners > >> questions > >> to suit you? Or work with what you have to bring out the genius in you? > >> > >> Drupal could be cool, but you can as well set up a development team to > >> build a CMS thats seamlessly Ugandan (working with the "facades" of all > >> trades employees like you alluded to) > >> > >> This list featured so many posts about cities going open source, and > >> someone suggested an open source metro network (guess KCCA would love > >> that > >> as a big investment for their youth stimulus packages if we could pursue > >> it further) > >> > >> Someone also suggested a vehicle monitoring system, but declined to > >> release its C++ source code he had done, let alone the system itself, > >> perhaps it could get support from the folks on the list, there was a > >> price > >> comparator suggested, but.... Well, we could also be able to assemble > >> the > >> cheap phones from China ourselves and have the computer > >> science/engineering departments certify the products before putting them > >> on the market (thats if their labs are well equipped to do so..) > >> > >> :)On the open source network, we could also run our own yahoo and local > >> > >> search engines > >> Maybe we could take the lead and encourage the local developers to > >> release > >> their open source projects to the list, so we can support them i > >> guess... > >> > >> Happy New Year by the way > >> > >> > I think it is more interesting to talk about things we can change > >> > >> (like > >> > >> > Uganda) than to moan about the demise of a US corporation > >> > > >> > > >> > On Monday 07 January 2013 08:06:03 [email protected] wrote: > >> > > >> > An interesting comparison, Reinier. Yahoo! is a jack of all trades, > >> > >> but > >> > >> > king > >> > of none. > >> > > >> > That still leaves me with the question "why aren't they already > >> > >> dead?", > >> > >> > though. > >> > > >> > > >> > Reinier Battenberg <[email protected]> wrote: > >> > HI Joseph, > >> > > >> > You bring up a very interesting point, that is very valid in the > >> > >> Ugandan > >> > >> > context as well. > >> > > >> > There are a lot of FLOSS users in Uganda, especially in the website > >> > building > >> > business: joomla, wordpress, drupal, ushahidi. A lot of people can > >> > >> offer > >> > >> > you a > >> > site for a very reasonable price because they use free software. > >> > > >> > Unfortunately there seem to be very few people that become active > >> > >> members > >> > >> > of > >> > the community that comes with the tools they apply. > >> > > >> > I think there are 2 reasons for this: > >> > > >> > - "Why would you? It's free, I use is, and that's it." Very valid > >> > statement, > >> > but as you wont learn more about the internals of the tool you use, > >> > >> others > >> > >> > will come on to the market and do exactly the same as you: download > >> > >> and > >> > >> > install. This will make it harder for anyone who gets stuck at this > >> > >> level > >> > >> > to > >> > compete. > >> > > >> > - Very few people tend to specialise. On the average CV that we > >> > >> receive, > >> > >> > if > >> > they were all true, most people in ICT in Uganda can do anything: From > >> > Oracle, > >> > to PHP, from C++ to Networking all on 1 CV. If you know so many > >> > >> subjects, > >> > >> > its > >> > pretty clear you can not be extremely good in any of them. And that is > >> > what a > >> > lot of employers are looking for: extremely good people. > >> > > >> > So, point of the email: a lot of IT people in Uganda could compare > >> > themselves > >> > to Yahoo. (And btw, reading John Graham's posts is a very good idea > >> > >> when > >> > >> > you > >> > are in IT.) And it would be great if in 2013 we can see more Ugandan > >> > >> names > >> > >> > pop > >> > up in the forums on drupal.org (for example)! > >> > > >> > rgds, > >> > > >> > Reinier > >> > > >> > > >> > On Sunday 06 January 2013 21:37:38 Joseph Mutumi wrote: > >> > > >> > Hello, > >> > > >> > This is a bit off topic but wanted to share it anyway. Think about > >> > >> Yahoo > >> > >> > before > >> > you > >> > plan for this year. > >> > > >> > Started the year by doing an audit on some of my accumulated login > >> > credentials. > >> > I realized a lot of them use my yahoo email which I noticed I actually > >> > >> no > >> > >> > longer use! > >> > Yahoo in the news for all the wrong reasons; layoffs, product > >> > discontinuations, > >> > CEO > >> > woos etc. What happened to all those profit speculations? So what > >> > >> killed > >> > >> > Yahoo? > >> > > >> > I did a search and came across this > >> > >> http://www.paulgraham.com/yahoo.html > >> > >> > I think this post albeit a bit old, nails it, with one interesting > >> > >> insight > >> > >> > being: > >> > *Yahoo was killed because they didn't have a hacker-centric culture* > >> > > >> > Yahoo which used OSS failed to adopt OSS. OSS and the Linux stack is > >> > >> more > >> > >> > than > >> > downloading packages for free, its a culture. A proven successful > >> > >> business > >> > >> > model and > >> > work paradigm. If you believe your organization is using OSS but not > >> > adopted > >> > it watch > >> > out 2013 may be just another bad year for you. > >> > > >> > That said I hope a lot of the IT corps come to their senses and start > >> > backing > >> > community. > >> > I hope LUG flourishes this year. > >> > > >> > Happy New Year > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > -- > >> > rgds, > >> > > >> > Reinier Battenberg > >> > Director > >> > Mountbatten Ltd. > >> > www.mountbatten.net > >> > tel: +256 758 801749 > >> > twitter: @batje > >> > > >> > > >> > The Uganda Linux User Group: http://linux.or.ug > >> > > >> > Send messages to this mailing list by addressing e-mails to: > >> > [email protected] > >> > Mailing list archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > >> > Mailing list settings: http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/lug > >> > To unsubscribe: http://kym.net/mailman/options/lug > >> > > >> > The Uganda LUG mailing list is generously hosted by INFOCOM: > >> > http://www.infocom.co.ug/ > >> > > >> > The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them > >> > >> (including > >> > >> > attachments if any). The mailing list host is not responsible for them > >> > >> in > >> > >> > any > >> > way. > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > -- > >> > rgds, > >> > > >> > Reinier Battenberg > >> > Director > >> > Mountbatten Ltd. > >> > www.mountbatten.net > >> > tel: +256 758 801749 > >> > twitter: @batje_______________________________________________ > >> > The Uganda Linux User Group: http://linux.or.ug > >> > > >> > Send messages to this mailing list by addressing e-mails to: > >> > [email protected] > >> > Mailing list archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > >> > Mailing list settings: http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/lug > >> > To unsubscribe: http://kym.net/mailman/options/lug > >> > > >> > The Uganda LUG mailing list is generously hosted by INFOCOM: > >> > http://www.infocom.co.ug/ > >> > > >> > The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them > >> > >> (including > >> > >> > attachments if any). The mailing list host is not responsible for them > >> > >> in > >> > >> > any way. > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> The Uganda Linux User Group: http://linux.or.ug > >> > >> Send messages to this mailing list by addressing e-mails to: > >> [email protected] > >> Mailing list archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > >> Mailing > >> list settings: http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/lug > >> To unsubscribe: http://kym.net/mailman/options/lug > >> > >> The Uganda LUG mailing list is generously hosted by INFOCOM: > >> http://www.infocom.co.ug/ > >> > >> The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including > >> attachments if any). The mailing list host is not responsible for them > >> in > >> any way. > > > > -- > > rgds, > > > > Reinier Battenberg > > Director > > Mountbatten Ltd. > > www.mountbatten.net > > tel: +256 758 801749 > > twitter: @batje > > _______________________________________________ > > The Uganda Linux User Group: http://linux.or.ug > > > > Send messages to this mailing list by addressing e-mails to: > > [email protected] > > Mailing list archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > > Mailing list settings: http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/lug > > To unsubscribe: http://kym.net/mailman/options/lug > > > > The Uganda LUG mailing list is generously hosted by INFOCOM: > > http://www.infocom.co.ug/ > > > > The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including > > attachments if any). The mailing list host is not responsible for them in > > any way. > > _______________________________________________ > The Uganda Linux User Group: http://linux.or.ug > > Send messages to this mailing list by addressing e-mails to: [email protected] > Mailing list archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Mailing > list settings: http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/lug > To unsubscribe: http://kym.net/mailman/options/lug > > The Uganda LUG mailing list is generously hosted by INFOCOM: > http://www.infocom.co.ug/ > > The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including > attachments if any). The mailing list host is not responsible for them in > any way. -- rgds, Reinier Battenberg Director Mountbatten Ltd. www.mountbatten.net tel: +256 758 801749 twitter: @batje _______________________________________________ The Uganda Linux User Group: http://linux.or.ug Send messages to this mailing list by addressing e-mails to: [email protected] Mailing list archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Mailing list settings: http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/lug To unsubscribe: http://kym.net/mailman/options/lug The Uganda LUG mailing list is generously hosted by INFOCOM: http://www.infocom.co.ug/ The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including attachments if any). The mailing list host is not responsible for them in any way.
