Re: [ox-en] re brazil (slightly OT)
- From: Raju Mathur <raju linux-delhi.org>
- Date: Tue, 5 Nov 2002 07:53:05 +0530
"Graham" == Graham Seaman <graham seul.org> writes:
Graham> On Thu, 31 Oct 2002, pietro wrote:
>> Graham Seaman escreveu: > Hopefully Lula will have more
>> backbone than Toledo...
>> i really hope that he will. it provoced soem strange reactions
>> on the FS community in brasil. people are now kind of
>> discussing an strategy of propaganda to make the mind of the
>> future govement before bill gates. we have two things in favor
>> of us: pt (lula's party) goverments seem to like FS, and lula
>> said he is not traveling abroad before he officialy becomes
>> president, this happens in january 1st.
>>
Graham> If you can persuade Lula to send a letter like this:
Graham> http://www.schoolnet.na/pr/msftrelease.html
Graham> even better
I don't agree: all the arguments that Nigeria makes for going for free
software are economics-centric. They have painted themselves into a
corner, and if MS now comes up with a scheme whereby they get all the
MS products for free, they themselves will be forced to make Nigerian
schools a showcase success story for MS. And is MS likely to worry
about $9000 (or whatever the paltry price of the software is) when
larger issues are at stake?
MS will keep winning as long as the arguments for free software are
based on money, unless and until someone raises the banner of freedom
and displays the determination to carry it through. Arguments based
on security, price, stability, quality etc (the open source way) are
ultimately self-defeating, since all these qualities are ephemeral and
relative. Free software must be promoted for its freedom, the only
permanent and absolute quality that differentiates it from proprietary
software.
Regards,
-- Raju
--
Raju Mathur raju kandalaya.org http://kandalaya.org/
It is the mind that moves
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