"Don Cameron" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Paul Swider wrote: > > neither I in Washington, DC, nor someone in a village in Africa has to > > merely take what is given in terms of software function, we can make > > what we need. This not only translates into better IT, it can also > > translate into real jobs > > This would be wonderful, but I do wonder how the person located in this > African village, with everything involved in terms of literacy, economy > etc., would determine exactly what is needed from the latest version of > Red Hat or Debian, let alone build it? - To begin with, who is compiling > these systems into African village dialects? Also, it's perhaps a sad > reality, but reality nonetheless that commercial software is that which > creates jobs - business culture drives commercial purchases, which in
Dear Don, Where are you writing this from? I myself live in a village, Saligao, which I welcome you to visit anytime to see what is possible from there. Please also check out <http://linuxinindia.pitas.com> to see what others are doing from a country like India. It's not implausible to think that, if India can do it today, other areas of the Third World can do it tomorrow. Anyway, I feel we should not get too much caught up in the "villages or urban areas" debate. The question is whether at all software can play a role in a way that makes it accessible and affordable to the Third World (or the Two-Thirds World), call it what you choose. GNU/Linux, Open Source and Free Software definitely has immense potential. Lastly, should we be unduly concerned if companies and corporations show a disinclination to enter the GNU/Linux-FreeSoftware-OpenSource world? Is it our assumption that all change, development and growth will flow from what corporations do? In any case, the whole of GNU/Linux was built almost wholly with volunteer support and involvement. It would appear that we who are talking of development have a useful lesson to learn from this approach. In fact, our bytesforall.org project has been inspired in large measure by the GNU/Linux approach. Two years old, 15 volunteers from six South Asian countries, an ezine sent out via listservs that reaches decisionmakers/IT professionals and the commonman, a whole lot of enthusiasm generated about the potential of IT-for-development (including a monthly column in one of India's most prestigious and mainstream IT magazines)... all done without a single rupee or taka or dollar spent, but through volunteer work. A lot is possible... if only there's an open mind. FN -- Frederick Noronha * Freelance Journalist * Goa * India 832.409490 / 409783 BYTESFORALL www.bytesforall.org * GNU-LINUX http://linuxinindia.pitas.com Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] * SMS [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Saligao Goa India ------------ ***GKD is solely supported by EDC, an NGO that is a GKP member*** To post a message, send it to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe gkd OR type: unsubscribe gkd Archives of previous GKD messages can be found at: <http://www.edc.org/GLG/gkd/>
