On Wednesday 09 May 2012 13:29:08 Pravin Dhayfule wrote: > Hi, > > Thanks Bruno and JTD, for humble replies. > > You both seem to actuallly understand the plight. > > Bruno I am obliged by your generosity to come down at this thread and > provide a solution. > > I am a GNU-Linux Users from years and have been preaching FOSS usage. I > have been converting ***doze users to GNU/Linux. However before converting, > they want to try some apps that they can practice before switching. The > point was I tell them how evil proprietary companies are who first provide > demo versions and ask people to pay for full version, and since I never > used GCompris on Windows, it was a brick-bat blow to me, when my friend > commented ... "See this is your Free software... asking for Code to get > full version", just imagine my situation at that time. > > I agree that the code is available for compile and redistribute, etc. But I > and my friends are average desktop users (who support applications by using > and promoting them). Downloading the source code and compiling it, is still > a gigantic job for us.
Same as being average motorbike users. So all those screws on the bike are a huge job. Try telling the mechanic that he should tune up the bike for free. > > Apparently, people here (in India) are not ready to actively accept the > philosophy of FOSS easily, since for them a Free(dom) copy of GIMP > application is no different from (cash)Free copy of pirated Photoshop. I > have been conducting workshops on GIMP (on windows as well as GNU Linux). > Also they are reluctant to partition their drives (I know Virtual Box, etc > are solution but not feasible for desktop users). So what are you cribbing about? If you are trying to reform crooks, tolerating their behaviour goes with the territory. > > In that case Windows based FOSS apps help transitioning users easily. > Imagine what if Firefox, Chrome or other FOSS Browsers disables some > features on Windows edition and ask users to pay for it on Windows and get > rest free on GNU/Linux, IE would have been ruler always. What if GIMP and > others do the same for their Windows counter parts. It would be a perfectly good thing to do. After all they want to use windows. > > Please dont feel offended, I am just reciting the reality of (Indian) IT Dont know which India you are talking of, I charge a premium for my software and services. Because I supply to people who value their data more than anything. > Market, where people just demand a software and dont care about the source > code. They just want something that works. Schools here are ideally on > Windows, but slowly get converted to linux after using these windows based > FOSS tools. For them directly transitioning to Linux involves lots of > Internal management politics, resitance from users, etc. So till they fight > these things, they practice these windows based FOSS Tools. You are mixing up all sorts of use cases. Schools are different from small offices, are different from home users, are different from art college users, are different from engneering college etct etc etc. > I am not a philosopher or an advocate, I am just a representative of a day > to day average desktop user who spoke from the end user's perspective who > just want to use the software and when they like recomend it to friends. > This is how Chrome and FireFox have stolen market from IE. Do people really > know whether VLC was born on Windows or Linux. They just use it.... Ignorance is bliss. But you could tell them that Microsoft was born stealing other peoples code. Lotsa contradictions in what you say (not an advocate, but trying to convert doze users - which is.... umm advocacy). Lotsa things to crib about when the user does not get what he wants and thinks he is doing everyone a favour by using linux. You have the source, you have hundreds of mailing lists, you have ALL the tools you will ever need to shape GNU/Linux to your needs. You use those to teach yourself, or pay to get someone else to do it, if it is not your cup of tea. Same as driving a mobike v/s hailing an auto. -- Rgds JTD _______________________________________________ network mailing list [email protected] http://lists.fosscom.in/listinfo.cgi/network-fosscom.in
