hi all,
A few post earlier, the question of
"How do I eat, while I work on free SW?"
is a very valid question, especially more so in our so called
'developing world'.
Someone has to pay... or rather the developer has some form of income.
I think the issue is also socio-economic related.
In developed countries, there is a social safety net of a welfare
system, where altho meagre, someone can still live on, while they work
on their free pet projects.
But I think the more important socio-economic issue is in Europe, US &
Developed countries, they ALL STARTED YOUNGER! Take Google, Yahoo,
Linus, they started while tey will still in college or just after.
This shows a few things:
1. the skill levels of the overseas CompSc students are way higher!
Most guys who opt for CompSc ALREADY KNOW programming before Uni.
Here, they entr Uni to learn to program! And we have lecturers that
barely know how to program...
Then, we don't gain enough skills and knowledge until we are in late
20's then you get hit with the next problem..
2. starting younger means you have less 'other' commitments - ie: no
spouse, no mortgages and no kids. When you have these, its next to
impossible to consider working on free SW, if you are not already
paid, or have some other sort of income. Even with social welfare,
once you have these commitments, its hard, economically to work on
free SW.
3. If you work for a local company, no way they will open source their
stuff! The culture hav'nt reached that far yet. And its only in a
handful of multi-national companies that actively support FOSS, that
you will get to work on a FOSS project - ie: Sun, IBM, etc...
4. Skill levels again... the technical demands of a FOSS project is
pretty high, and there is a very steep learning curve. So if you wanna
join a FOSS project you gotta be a reasonably good coder or
documentor.
If you are starting one, you better be a good PM and/or Architect.
So I guess, the gleam in the eye, the the gung-ho enthusiasm will only
carry you that far. It would probably work when I was in my 20's but
now?? I doubt it.
Still I do not diss the enthusiasm and ideals, but after 20 yrs
pushing them, (uphill), I have become more jaded. I still uphold those
ideals, otherwise I wouldnt be on this forum, and I will like to see
progress... my POV is that we shld focus on skills development,
really, really work on developing programming skills - and with modern
languages its much more easier and fun. Think of the collective
potential of the country if 5% of school leavers (I mean STPM not Uni)
can build a website using the usual framework (Joomla, Rails,
Django,...) there'll be 10,000's .... of developers who can later
work/invent on other stuff..
So I rather see OSDC have a few programs:
a. work with or consult with Higher Education to develop curriculum and skills.
perhaps also have work experiance interchange, ie: those working in FOSS to
lecture in Uni.
b. MDEC, MOSTI whatever to provide a 'safety net' for programmers.
Someone brought up an idea of a 50k/3mth grant that doesnt need a ton
of paperwork to approve. ie: give 50k to a project and in 3 mths they
better show results, else its axed. This I think would be a better
program to promote technopreneurs. And OSDC can help do the evaluation
and due deligence.
c. OSDC itself kick-off a few FOSS projects, especially those that
have scio-economic /cultural/nation-building benfits. I can rattle off
a few at the top of my head:
1. A System for managing non-profit organizatiions (FreeNPO?) - ie:
for thinks like the AIDS foundation, Orphanages, Charity org.
2. Various database projects, ie: like a Biodiversty Database, to
capture the fast disapearing species of flora & fuan in our forest...
I'm sure FRIM (Forest Researh Inst.) and UPM would love this....
3. Healthcare (my favourite), there is much to do here, because Med
SW tends to be very expensive, and I strongly fell tht money spent on
licences could be better spent on medicines and real things that save
lives!)... from Systems to manage small rural hospitals, systems to
report on medical statistics (like cases of Malaria, HINI, no.
births/deaths, diabetes.. that cover in ALL hospitals even in 'ulu'
towns...) BTW this has been done successfully uisng SMS on FOSS in
Philipines! and there are many other areas...
If OSDC want to spearhead any of these, then I'll gladly be involved,
and I'll be more than willing to run a real programming course, but
pls dont ask me to sit in a booth at some exhibition to answer mundane
questions, I've done my share of that....;-(
Well that's my rant...
;-)
On Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 7:07 PM, BRIAN RITCHIE
<[email protected]> wrote:
> I know. Its no excuse and I openly admit it. Late night unfortunately though
> I agree, missing his talk was inexcusable.
>
> Ditesh, thanks a mill dude. Greatly appreciated
>
> -BRIAN RITCHIE
>
> On Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 6:56 PM, red1 <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> Brian,
>> Shame on you! Overshot alarm clock? :)
>> Well, even though its uploaded to youtube later, nothing beats been
>> there in person. You could see his body language and glimmer in his eyes
>> when he said what he said,
>>
>> "We do have a business plan. It is only a single paper with a single
>> line, 'We think it can work.'" I noticed from his eyes, how he hated to
>> be insulted by those men in black suits and neckties. :)
>>
>> red1
>>
>> BRIAN RITCHIE wrote:
>> > Ditesh,
>> >
>> > Any chance his presentation will be uploaded/circulated ? I was one
>> > of the few guilty ones that missed due to an overshot alarm clock. :-(
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> >
>
--
#-------
regds,
Boh Heong, Yap
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