Re: Re: Re: The LUGs in India

[Atul Chitnis <achitnis@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, 6 Mar 2001, Saurabh Garg wrote:

> I once again apologize for not keeping control on my damned fingers.

Apology accepted, but only if you (and everyone else) stays off this
accursed series of threads that have been causing so much damage to
people, and have cost the Linux community so heavily.

I wish the community would get back to its non-political roots of years
ago, and starts working together again instead of against each other.

Linux is not an operating system alone - it is a battle cry, a symbol that
technologists unite around fighting assimilation of Borgian proportions.

Linux is not about politics or distributions - it is about people
believing in something, and using this collective belief to make a
difference.

*This* is what the community (in the form of LUGs) should be doing,
instead of what we have witnessed so far. *This* is what Microsoft and
other nay-sayers fear the most. The sniping and complete destruction of
anything sacred about these lists works in favour of all those who wish to
harm Linux and what it stands for.

It has already taken its toll. People have chosen to stay away from these
lists (but not from Linux or the community), and people have been hurt.
Not everyone is as stubborn or pigheaded as me to keep coming back to a
place where all one gets is abuse and accusations. Many go away and never
come back.

We now have our first legal case by some of us against one of us. The
ensuing publicity (despite the undeniable merits of the case) will hurt
Linux even more, because people will associate all that is negative about
us, with Linux.

This is not good, and should not have been allowed to happen.

We took on a responsibility when we called ourselves "Linux India". It is
like a declaration of intent - we took on the responsibility of guiding
the growth of Linux in India. We proclaimed that we would do all we can to
achieve our part of "world domination (tm, LT)". And we now doing our
damnest to shirk that responsibility - we are in fact working for the
opposition.

Someone questioned whether the legal case will actually stand. Believe me,
it will - because that is what the opposition wanted all along. We do not
need enemies - not while we have ourselves with our pathetic politics, our
"power games" (sarcasm intended) and our "personality cults" (sarcasm cup
overfloweth), our abuses and accusations, our mindless battles against
individuals that form part of the community.

I warned Swati after her first message that she will be targetted in the
worst possible way. We all saw what happened. Do I blame the foul-mouthed
"gentleman" for this?

No, I do not.

I blame the community for allowing this kind of cess-pool to grow and
allow raise a stink, and act as an environment in which more "gentlemen"
can feel at home in.

Please, members of the Linux community, realise how bad things have
become. It is almost too late to do something about it.

Don't blame individuals for what the community has become. *You* are part
of that community, and if you felt offended by what just happened on this
list, understand that *you* have played as much a role in allowing this to
happen as I, Suresh or the foul-mouthed "gentleman" - whether you like it
or not.

Have a look at the way the Bangalore LUG manages to stay above all this,
and keeps organising things and doing good stuff. This has nothing to do
with me (as has been put on my doorstep - even though I have not even
attended a LUG meet in 4 months!), but with the sense of dedication and
determination by the LUG members to make a difference.

As I type this, BLUGgies are holding free talks at BangLinux 2001, and the
house is full! People are falling over themselves to attend these talks,
and are coming out of the hall with huge grins of satisfaction.

All the talks are run not by the so called "LUG royalty" (sarcasm
intended) but by the young (and not so young) and enthu members of the
LUG.

And they are making a difference. A *HUGE* difference. And they are doing
it in a completely apolitical manner.

I am proud of these guys - not just because they are doing something
extremely well, but because they are presenting the spirit of Linux as I
hoped to see it when I first got involved with Linux.

Atul

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Atul Chitnis       | achitnis@xxxxxxxxxxx (PGP:6011BCB8)
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Bangalore, India   | +91 (80) 3440397 Fax +91 (80) 3341137
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