I am agree with Boh, this is a sosio-economic problem. I am working with an IT firm and our business model doesn't reach Google's or Ubuntu's business model yet, we like to adopt it, but we CAN'T. It may takes 5-10 years to see it happens here. "How do you sell FOSS when it's available for free?"... Most people still don't understand how to generate money from FOSS.
Hasanuddin Abu Bakar ------------------------------- Ubuntu embedded developer/tester https://wiki.ubuntu.com/bizkut Get FireGPG for your Firefox! http://getfiregpg.org PGP Public Key http://keyserver.ubuntu.com:11371/pks/lookup?op=get&search=0xC5A1B11965D43C5C On Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 10:37 PM, Boh Yap <bhy...@gmail.com> wrote: > > 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 > <esqbrianritc...@gmail.com> 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 <r...@red1.org> 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 > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Join Open Source Developers Club Malaysia http://www.osdc.my/ Facebook Fan page http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=98685301577 http://www.facebook.com/OSDC.my You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "OSDC.my Mailing List" group. To post to this group, send email to osdcmy-list@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to osdcmy-list+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/osdcmy-list?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
