Why are you using GNU/Linux?

Hello FOSSers,

I believe that there are many students on this list. I would like to ask them few questions about their FOSS usage and adoption. I would love to hear from you guys and gals using FOSS. I will compile the list of reasons and put it up for everyone.

This should help people who conduct workshops and seminars in the colleges to create more appealing presentations for students.

You are free to answer the questions on the list or on my personal email if you think your answers are too embarrassing.

1. Why do you use GNU/Linux?

The reasons could be as run-of-the-mill as “I believe in freedom in software” to as esoteric as “my boyfriend/girlfriend is crazy about FOSS”. Or it could be just the cool factor. Just keep them coming.

2. What distribution are you using? Why?

3. Are you dual booting? Why?

4. What are primary apps you use?

5. What do you miss the most from the “other” OS?

Blog writing

I am now writing all these blogs using a cool WordPress app on iPhone.

Now I am getting hang of the writing blogs and using lots of travel time in writing this blogs.

Over the period I hope to improve my typing speed on iPhone’s virtual keyboard. At times the auto correct sucks. Have to turn off auto correct and see if improve the over all quality of the writing.

I think, there is heavy need of editing the posts posted from iPhone.

Are you using any mobile tools to write your blogs? Would like to hear the mobile tools you are using.

Also, need to find out how to link these blogs in various soc-net sites. I would love to hear how you make your blog popular?

Electoral reforms

In India we say and believe that we are governed by a democratically elected representatives. However, if you look at the numbers of voter turn-out and total vote share of wining candidates and political parties they represent, you will be shocked to know that neither individual candidates nor the parties they represent have vote share of more then 40%! If you look at that figure up-side-down the party/government in power has no support of more then 60% of the people if India!

What are the reasons for such a poor record of the people in power to garner wider support of the people they want to govern. What and how can we make systemic changes to elect a government which has wider support base and true mandate of the people of the country?

If we cannot a create a system to create a better representative government in place, we will alway have more and more alienation and discontent within country which can jeopardize the unity and integrity of India as a democratic nation state.

We must look at various challenges India faces today like Kashmir, Naxalites Movements, Maoist uprisings or recent terrorist activities within country in the context of the electoral processes and widely representative democracy.

1. Poor participation of people in electoral process.

We keep hearing that 40, 55 or 60 % voters came to vote. What keeps those 60 to 40 % people participate in the electoral process? Is this apathy of the people? Is that a from of dissent? Is that lack of confidence in the political process and electoral system? Is this due to process being too cumbersome and inconvenient?

If we speak to people about our existing electoral system, we will find that it is a bit of all of the above, which causes poor participation from people.

If in an election there is 50% turnout and wining candidate gates 40% of votes cast to win an election, then at best he or she is representing just 20% of the people in that constituency! He or she will still has to work for those 80% of the people who has rejected him or her! What are the chances of that person working for 100% of the people of that constituency? No wonder we have vote bank politics as it is easier to server just 20% of the people and get and retain power than serve and represent majority of the people of a constituency!

What can be done to improve wider participation in electoral process?

What can be done to elect peoples representatives who are truly representative of majority of the people in a constituency?

Will these systemic changes lead to better representative governments and can address the issues country faces today?

On Software patents in India

The other day I was discussing with Venky from Red Hat about the software patent scene in India. He is very active and vocal in opposing the software patents in India.

Few important points that we discussed were -

1. Why patents should not be granted for any software, either independently or along with hardware?

The software is already protected by Copyright Laws. Why software should be given double protection and create more legal complications. The real problem in India is not lake of regulations and laws. The real problem is India has poor record in effectively enforcing and implementing these laws. Instead of more regulations and laws, we as a country should do more in effective implementation of existing regulations and laws. India will be better off with effective implementation of existing Copyright Laws rather then create more laws and regulations and further dilute effective enforcement and the better implementation of the existing laws.

2. Patents and standards.

India’s policy on granting and deny patents on methods, processes, algorithms etc. should be very strict. Our patent laws and manual strictly mandate that anything which is part of either Indian or international standards will not be granted any kind of patent(s) in India. The idea of standards is to foster competition and create free market. The intention of patents is to remove competition and create monopoly for the “/inventor/inventor”. Considering the mutually exclusive intentions of standards and patents, Indian patent office should reject all patent applications containing standards.

3. Patents for government funded research institutes.

Though this is not related to the software patents, it is important that draft manual clearly specifies that all patents created by government funded research is available under suitable open source license to all Indian citizens and Indian Organizations (minimum 51% Indian holding) at no license fees. All the government funded research is already paid for by Indian citizens by way of paying either direct or indirect taxes. Why the Indian citizens should pay twice to get the benefits from the inventions and innovation for which they have already paid in advance?

4. Making patent process more transparent

During my recent visit to Indian Patent Office web site, I found it very difficult to use. For an example - I was trying to read the Indian Patent Law and Amendments to law at various times. The text and changes are distributed in PDF files. Though the file format is good enough, there are back references and changes and deletion from previous text. Such a text can be best presented in HTML format which is more user friendly, instead of fixed unlinked PDF documents. Also, I am not sure if all the patent applications filed are accessible easily on-line.

5. Using open source processes in challenging the patent applications which are based on prior-art or violets the India Patent Laws.

There is a need to create a community which can keep a watch on the patent applications filed and ensure that wrong application are challenged in time to ensure that patent law is not violated in letter and spirit.

No single individual or organization will have resources to take such a huge challenge. However, a community approach will be more effective in taking on such a challenge.

My growing todo list

As times goes by, my todo list growing longer and longer.
To make and manage my todo list have become a project in itself!

There are so many areas to work on. I generally classify my todo list in following categories.

Work/career
Finance
Home
Social

Being a techie I have many tools at my disposal. Learning those tools in itself a task!

So what am I using now and how do I find those tools?

1. iGoogle home page todo widget - this is nice and simple on-line post-it app. This is kind of universally available tool requiring just a browser. However, if you are not on-line always then it’s not possible to access and manage. Though the Internet connection is not a problem in urban India, you can never count on it. Also, security and privacy are of concern. Otherwise this is nice way to manage your todo list.

2. Tomboy post-it client for GNU/Linux - this is indeed a good nifty small app on open source platform. Down side is that you are tied to your desktop/laptop in accessing and managing the todo list. May be some sync with a server should help this a great way. Let me explore this possible extension to this little but powerful app. And can possibly do that as the app is FOSS!

3. iPhone apps - this is what I should explore as soon as possible. However, I have concerns about the usability of these apps. The biggest challange is learning copy/paste in an iPhone! I will post my views on iPhone todo apps as I start exploring them.

Another option would be to use project management tools like Planner on GNU/Linux (seems over kill to me) or simply a spreadsheet with list of tasks and status of each task? Hmmm… May be I should give it a try and see how that goes.

How do you manage your todo list? If you know better ways (other then pen and paper) do let me know.

How do I Start blogging?

So I want to start blogging. But I’m afraid that I have no writing skills nor discipline to regularly write!

What should I do?

Well, there is no harm in trying! So this is my first attempt!

Few questions that comes to mind are -

What should I write about?

As usual my head is swamped with so many ideas. The real issue is arteculating these ideas in right and concise and logical manner. Can I do that? Only time will tell!

Next question came up is - what tools I need/have?

The good thing about blogging is that you only need a browser to start writing. There are so many places you can easely publish your blogs. But being a techei and free software enthu I was always concerned more about tools then the actual content! This must change. I should focus more on content then the tools

Any way I recently bought and cracked apple’s iPhone! I’m writing this using iPhone and nice little wordpress app!

Now the next question is developing a discipline to write regularly! Can I do that? Let me see how often I write new blogs! I will keep my finger crossed.

Another thing worries me is the quolity and style of writting. But I hope to improve both over time as I write and review my own writting. I hope the comments will give me good idea and guidance as I proceed. So I will stop worring about this later.

How much time should I give for this activity?
It looks like starting at about half an hour daily should be sufficient and not too taxing on me! I hope to increase this over time.

So wish me luck and do give me feedback and tips in the comments!