Re: banglinux & IT.COM is not needed for India

[M K Saravanan <mksarav@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, 7 Dec 2000, Prabhu Ramachandran wrote:

> However, there are three categories of people here that I can think
> of.  (1) The knowledgeable (who know of free software) and who have
> all the means to use that knowledge, (2) those who have all of the
> basic amenities of life, who are educated and interested in computers
> but who are ignorant of free software and (3) those who dont have the
> basic amenities.  I think MKS's original post was targeted to the
> second of the three categories.  The first kind already knows of free
> software and the third category is beyond the scope of free software.
> Only the middle remains.  The question is, does the second category
> have access to computers?  If so what kind.  Who are responsible for
> these comps.  Once these are answered I think one can deal with the
> problem intelligently.


No flame war pl.  My original intention is not even teaching free
software.  Instead, teaching Basics of Computer, Internet, etc.., [Of course,
you may say it is not ILUG job.  But partly ILUG can involve in these kind of
activities - It's only my *humble* request not order].  All the problems we
can't solve.  But why don't we contribute what we can ? [teaching].

If some strong organisation like ILUG support, we can get sponsor from mega
companies (who are sponsoring Banglinux/IT.COM etc..,) to setup small lab (say
atleast 5 assembled systems) in selected schools/or even one school to start
with?  In all IITs and IISc, INTEL has sponsored several labs.  But for the
poor schools who will sponsor without proper background support?  All that is
needed is some background support to the poor schools.  In the worst case,
each ILUG can support atleast one school in their/nearby district.  that way
we can create atleast a dozen of resource centres across the country.  Most of
the poor school management are really interested in such acvities.  Whenever
somebody has some freetime (I am sure everybody will have atleast a couple of
hours a month) they can goto resource centres and take seminars.

Say on an average of 25 members in a ILUG chapter, contributing 2 hrs. a month
will comes around 50 hrs. per month is quite good.

Again it is purely a voluntary effort. *NO COMPULSION*

-- mks --