Success stories needed [long] (was Re: Links to Berlin)

[Prabhu Ramachandran <prabhu@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

hi,
	my 2p. 

K. Arun writes:
 >  => be found? Every week somebody or the other does stand up and say how 
 >  => Linux has helped them in their org/env. Why don't we add that stuff to the 
 > 	
 > 	This we can/should do. Contributors ?

	Yes, we most definitely need a success stories page.  I am
sure a lot of us have success stories.  But the problem is that those
who have success stories dont necessarily have the time to write them.
That takes way more effort since writing things well takes more effort
than one usually is capable of at any given time.

	I have some suggestions

1) Those who are "enthu" enough please help Arun out.  But I havent
seen that happening yet.  Asokan, Oommen, Roshan?  I dont mind
speaking to Prof. Sriram (in the guise of a reporter/steno) sometime
and getting some Aero dept. success stories either. 

2) If writing formally is a problem how about informal mails that are
merely beautified and put up under various sections at chennailug?

3) Some kind soul takes charge and meets interested folks and write a
nice write up (I think we need someone like Fredrick Noronha here).
But this is really a *big* wish, sigh!


	The reason why both success stories and commercial
organisation links are important is that I know of people who say that
the general scene (I myself dont know since I live on the enlightened
side myself :) with most offices is that they are sick of the MSFT
OS's and feel that anyone who offers a commited support deal will make
a peaceful killing and happily convert a lot of folks here to linux.
Indians being a smart/shrewd people will definitely be pretty open to
changing their OS for free provided there is some kind of safety net
in the form of commercial supporting organisations.  But given the
general stability of linux and other OSS solns it is clear that the
load on such an organisation will not be that high.  However such
support organisations also need to realise that they definitely need a
pretty comprehensive package i.e

a) convincing people that OSS solutions are worthwhile - an
informative site like chennailug (with helps from folks on this list)
will go a long way in this.

b) easy and *complete* conversion from existing setups to more stable
ones. With the well known "add on" to do so much more for so much
less.

c) training the staff to use the new tools and making the new converts
give back to the OSS community - in the form of atleast success
stories ;-) or even better code and improvements/ bug reports and or
fixes

d) comprehensive training programmes for IT staff of the companies so
that they are self sufficient.

e) post conversion help, round the clock, and stuff.

f) Possibly most importantly - a good software repository from where
easy upgrades, security fixes and the like are done.  A wide network
inside India will help a lot.


prabhu

-- 
I have never understood the female capacity to avoid a direct answer to
any question.
		-- Spock, "This Side of Paradise", stardate 3417.3

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