PRAGOTI

Why is it important to go the ‘free’ way?

V. Sridhar

One of the most misleading aspects of the “debate” on free software — or Open Source software — pertains to what is meant by “free.” Those ridiculing the free software activists — typically dismissed as “the techie types” — portray them as a bunch of folks who just want software to be sold for free.

However, those who passionately advocate free software argue that their emphasis is on free, as in freedom. “Let software be free from the shackles of full-fledged commercial exploitation” seems to be their refrain. It is important to steer clear of the pejorative connotations implied by those who adopt an adversarial stand on free software.

It is also important to distinguish between two different strands within this broad movement. The first are those who stand for “free software.” These are the evangelicals in the software profession who believe that free software represents freedom in the Digital Age. Anivar Aravind, member of the Free Software Users Group, in Bangalore, says: “Free software represents basic rights in the digital domain. Among the freedoms it implies are the freedom to distribute and the freedom to improve software programmes.”

Mr. Aravind explains: “Software like art is another mode of creativity.” In art, for instance, improvements made on existing works results in better and finer art, he argues. Why should it not be the same with software? he asks. He points out that the legal restrictions inhibiting sharing and cooperation among software professionals is particularly ironical given that the modern networks facilitate copying and sharing in online communities. Aravind says: “If software is free it can restore the freedoms that are available in offline fields.”

Anniversary

September 27 marks the 25th anniversary of the GNU Project initiated by Richard Stallman, acclaimed as the father of the GNU Public License, which is also known as Copyleft licences. Stallman was founder of the Free Software Foundation. These enable the free distribution of software licenses. It is important to understand that the term “free” implies freedom to distribute, not that they do not cost anything (although they generally cost a fraction of the price of similar software available from full-fledged commercial sources).

Free software offers enormous scope for small and medium-sized companies, especially start-ups. These companies may be strapped for cash, but they often possess entrepreneurial ability, which is especially useful in knowledge-based industries.

Wiki Ocean, based in Pune, is another company which uses the freedom in computing to great effect as a collaborative tool. It offers solutions to small and medium-sized companies which would have been prohibitively expensive if they would have turned to the regular suppliers in the business. For instance, Wiki Ocean offers Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions to clients using open source software. These are not only cheaper but also are more flexible when compared with other commercial options. Activists say that the penetration of free software has been much greater in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. They say that the impact has been so great in Tamil Nadu that IAS officers have started using free software-powered platforms. In Kerala, free software has provided the basis for computer education in schools. Karnataka, it appears, can take the same road. That would make the IT revolution more meaningful to the man on the street.

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How would it be if you read only one type of book?

Deepa Kurup

A computer literacy programme in a public sector organisation teaches the following modules: MS Office, MS Power Point, MS Excelsheet and Internet Explorer. A glance through the “computer syllabus” in most schools, and the list is similar. All items on this checklist have one thing in common: proprietary software. So, if every computer user is being taught exclusively on proprietary platforms, would they ever be comfortable switching to the easier, cheaper and readily available alternatives?

Advocates of Free Software — software which can be used, studied and distributed without restriction — say that this is a ploy by proprietors to turn learners into potential customers. They allege that educational systems and the State are in cahoots with these large corporations which insist that children and learning adults be taught to only follow their system.

In a recent meeting with a State Government official about the use of Free Software on e-governance platforms, the official complained that none of his officials knew how to use it or repair it if things went wrong.

“This takes you to the root of the problem,” says Sunil Abraham of Centre for Internet and Society, Bangalore. “Students are taught to use only proprietary software. The Government is subsidising training in proprietary technology and little or no attention is paid to what is being taught in schools and colleges,” he explains.

The “back-office” tag that our IT industry has learnt to live with is also a product of this malaise, experts point out. “When students learn only proprietary software, they will qualify only as computer operators and never learn about using the nuts and bolts of the profession. This is one of the reasons why there are no innovative products that come out of this country,” says Mr. Abraham.

Simple analogy

A simple analogy would be that of a child taking up reading as a habit. If a child reads a lot of books, they say, they learn to write and express better. Academics feel that in the absence of any familiarity with Free Software, where the source is easily available, engineering students and computer graduates never get to read any code and are thus hardly familiar with the languages.

FOSS supporters have written to the Ministry of Human Resource Development and several universities to point this out. Anivar Aravind, a member of Free Software Users Group, says that the progress so far has been staggered. Recently, CDAC and Anna Univeristy (KB Chandrashekar Research Centre) came up with a Free Software syllabus and offers trained to teachers in engineering colleges.

Cost factor

A study by International Open Source Network (an UNDP initiative) study on FOSS and education states that using open source software could reduce the costs involved in ICT education significantly. In a country like ours, this fact that Open Source Software usually involves low or no cost would be perceived as an important step towards reducing the digital divide. With no licensing fee, they can be made available on CD or downloaded.
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Courtesy: The Hindu