On Tuesday 06 April 2010 08:02 PM, sankarshan wrote:
Here's a part that I was unable to comprehend in the original post. If
the software is installed on the infrastructure of an institute, it is
generally obtained via a procurement process. Or, in other words,
there is a document trail that involves a quote, an invoice and, a
receipt of payment. Are the AICTE officials indicating that even if
such paper trail is acceptable by authorities that sign-off financial
transactions, they don't look at these as proof enough ?
It is very simple.
If your quotation says that you are "selling " licence copy of a certain
software, it means you are intending to purchase a software per say not
any service.
So it is not that a quotation/ procurement/ receipt is not considered a
proof, what is troubling them is what is being actually purchased.
According to many people FOSS is free so you can't buy it.
Thanks to the mith which is thriving on the concept of free as in free
beer, people don't think foss can be bought and sold.
I and many seniors on this list like Nagarjun have been warning about
this problem time and time again by clearifying the fact that free is
for "freedom " and people must not emphasise a lot of the cost aspect.
Now since many of us have really not been so serious about this, the
common but unfortunate believe about "free of cost " is troubling us now.
People don't want to except that free software can be sold and bought.
Yes we can download FOSS for no cost. but that is just a side effect.
We have to educate the concerned authorities about "free as in freedom
". I feel it is high time we at least now stop talking much on the
"cheep " or "reduction in TOC" kind of aspects.
Happy hacking.
Krishnakant.
_______________________________________________
network mailing list
[email protected]
http://lists.fosscom.in/listinfo.cgi/network-fosscom.in
