This document discusses the advantages of open formats for storing digital information. It provides guidelines for implementing open formats, addresses some problems with open formats, and discusses solutions to make them more popular. The document argues that open formats ensure access to information by avoiding proprietary control and loss of information due to closed formats. It encourages leading by example through adopting open formats in courts and offices.
This document contains a list of bank branch names (BRNAME) and their corresponding codes (BSR_CODE1). There are over 200 bank branches listed from various locations across India, along with their unique codes. The list includes branches in major cities as well as smaller towns. State Bank of India branches make up the first section of the list, with over 100 branches and their codes listed.
The document discusses the benefits of adopting open source software in educational institutions. It outlines the history and development of open source software. Key benefits mentioned include cost savings, ability to modify code, and collaborative nature which allows sharing knowledge. The conclusion recommends the school system adopt open source software for academic and financial reasons.
Free and Open Source Software technology: General OverviewDr. Mohamed Gabr
This presentation is a part of a consulting study that has been done to help decision maker decide about:
The use of open source GIS software in sharing information between the institutions of civil society and local government/ public sector
Free and Open Source Software technology: General OverviewDr. Mohamed Gabr
General Overview of Open Source Software and Technology
This document provides an overview of open source software and technology. It defines open source as software where the source code is available and users are free to use, modify, and distribute the software. The document discusses the history and concepts of open source, provides examples of widely used open source programs, and summarizes global trends and Egypt's national strategy regarding open source adoption.
This document discusses open source software and its use and benefits in education. It provides a brief history of open source software from the 1960s to present. It describes how open source software allows for free collaboration and modification. The document also notes that open source software saves money, works on older hardware, and addresses security issues through open source codes. Popular open source products mentioned include Mozilla Firefox, Apache HTTP Server, Linux operating system, and GNU.
This document discusses open source software, its history and uses. Open source software has many benefits including being free, allowing for collaboration and modification of code. It can also be used on older hardware, saving schools and individuals money. Examples of popular open source software mentioned are the Linux operating system, Mozilla Firefox web browser, and Apache web server. The document concludes that open source software adoption will likely continue to expand due to its low costs and collaborative nature.
1) Open source software has been widely adopted in education due to the many free applications and cost savings that can be applied to other areas.
2) Key attributes of open source software that have helped drive adoption include unrestricted distribution, availability of source code, ability for modifications, and lack of licensing fees.
3) Open source software is now used by many learners around the world and its use is expected to continue expanding.
This document contains a list of bank branch names (BRNAME) and their corresponding codes (BSR_CODE1). There are over 200 bank branches listed from various locations across India, along with their unique codes. The list includes branches in major cities as well as smaller towns. State Bank of India branches make up the first section of the list, with over 100 branches and their codes listed.
The document discusses the benefits of adopting open source software in educational institutions. It outlines the history and development of open source software. Key benefits mentioned include cost savings, ability to modify code, and collaborative nature which allows sharing knowledge. The conclusion recommends the school system adopt open source software for academic and financial reasons.
Free and Open Source Software technology: General OverviewDr. Mohamed Gabr
This presentation is a part of a consulting study that has been done to help decision maker decide about:
The use of open source GIS software in sharing information between the institutions of civil society and local government/ public sector
Free and Open Source Software technology: General OverviewDr. Mohamed Gabr
General Overview of Open Source Software and Technology
This document provides an overview of open source software and technology. It defines open source as software where the source code is available and users are free to use, modify, and distribute the software. The document discusses the history and concepts of open source, provides examples of widely used open source programs, and summarizes global trends and Egypt's national strategy regarding open source adoption.
This document discusses open source software and its use and benefits in education. It provides a brief history of open source software from the 1960s to present. It describes how open source software allows for free collaboration and modification. The document also notes that open source software saves money, works on older hardware, and addresses security issues through open source codes. Popular open source products mentioned include Mozilla Firefox, Apache HTTP Server, Linux operating system, and GNU.
This document discusses open source software, its history and uses. Open source software has many benefits including being free, allowing for collaboration and modification of code. It can also be used on older hardware, saving schools and individuals money. Examples of popular open source software mentioned are the Linux operating system, Mozilla Firefox web browser, and Apache web server. The document concludes that open source software adoption will likely continue to expand due to its low costs and collaborative nature.
1) Open source software has been widely adopted in education due to the many free applications and cost savings that can be applied to other areas.
2) Key attributes of open source software that have helped drive adoption include unrestricted distribution, availability of source code, ability for modifications, and lack of licensing fees.
3) Open source software is now used by many learners around the world and its use is expected to continue expanding.
Open source refers to software where the source code is made available to the public so that it can be modified or improved. Some key advantages of open source software include: (1) the ability to distribute modifications freely, (2) availability of source code for modification, and (3) lower costs since development relies on volunteer contributions rather than paid employees. However, open source also faces some disadvantages such as a lack of protection for intellectual property and no guarantees for ongoing development or support.
This document provides an overview of open source software and its adoption in education. It discusses the history and key people involved in open source software development like Richard Stallman and Linus Torvalds. The document argues that open source software provides benefits to education like cost savings, collaboration, and allowing older hardware to run new software. It recommends that schools adopt open source software for academic and financial reasons.
The document discusses an Innovation Cell (iCell) that aims to promote research and knowledge sharing among students and staff. This meeting will initiate a programming community within iCell by introducing Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). FOSS is defined as software that is liberally licensed to allow users to use, study, change and distribute the source code. Examples of popular FOSS projects are provided. The document outlines why understanding FOSS is important and how to become involved in the hacker community.
1. Open Source Software has enabled collaboration and connection through shared circulation of software. It addresses technological challenges in online learning.
2. Open Source Software is widely used in education from primary to post-secondary levels. It can be used on older hardware, benefiting lower-income individuals. Savings on software allows investing in other education.
3. Open Source Software development involves public collaboration on projects. Others can modify code to suit individual/group needs. It is compatible with most hardware/applications and used in business and education communities worldwide.
1) Open source software has grown significantly in popularity and adoption in recent years, with 87% of companies now using some form of open source software.
2) Open source refers to software with source code that anyone can inspect, modify, and enhance. This contrasts with proprietary software, where the source code is usually hidden from users.
3) India has actively promoted open source software adoption through various government policies and initiatives aimed at reducing costs and encouraging local development and innovation.
The document discusses free and open source software (FOSS) in education. It covers the history and philosophy of FOSS, defines key terms like free software and open content, and examines how organizations like ISTE and initiatives like the NETP 2010 support the use of FOSS and open educational resources in schools. It provides examples of how FOSS allows for creativity, collaboration, and developing 21st century skills as outlined by ISTE.
Raspbian is an optimized version of the Debian operating system designed specifically for the Raspberry Pi. It inherits most traits from Debian Jessie, but is modified and optimized to run on Raspberry Pi hardware. Originally a port of the Debian 'armhf' port for ARM-based systems, Raspbian aims to put a full desktop computer experience on Raspberry Pi devices to promote access to computing for education.
A Roadmap for Students Using FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) and Reachin...PK Mishra
The document provides a roadmap for students to leverage free and open source software (FOSS) to become self-reliant. It discusses how FOSS like Linux can provide cost-effective alternatives to proprietary software. The roadmap suggests students learn programming, databases, and analytics skills in languages like C/C++, Java, Python and tools like MySQL and R. It also recommends areas like app development, Raspberry Pi, and data analytics for students to explore. Universities are urged to train faculty and incubate ideas to realize the goals of an self-reliant India by leveraging open source software and fostering entrepreneurship.
This document provides an overview of free and open source software (FOSS). It discusses the history and definitions of free and open source, how FOSS licensing works, and three common FOSS licenses: the GNU General Public License v2, Modified BSD License, and Mozilla Public License v2. The document traces the origins of FOSS to the 1970s and the work of Richard Stallman and the Free Software Foundation in the 1980s. It also discusses the founding of the Open Source Initiative in the late 1990s and key differences between free and open source perspectives.
Accessing Higher Ground 2010: George Kerscher Keynote PresentationDAISY Consortium
This document discusses standards and implementations for accessible eBooks, including EPUB 3 and DAISY specifications. It summarizes the state of various eBook reading systems and their accessibility, noting that both the content and reading systems must be accessible for the full experience to be accessible. It emphasizes that stakeholders must work to integrate accessibility guidelines and practices into mainstream digital publishing to ensure equal access to information.
Open source software vs proprietary softwareLavan1997
The document discusses and compares open source software and proprietary software. Open source software is software with source code that is available and may be redistributed and modified under an open source license. Proprietary software is licensed under exclusive legal rights that restrict uses like modification and redistribution. Some key differences discussed include open source software being collaboratively developed while proprietary software owners control exclusive rights over the software.
20 years of open source and... what’s next?Speck&Tech
ABSTRACT: Open source started as a marketing program for free software back in 1998. Starting as a controversial and disruptive idea, it has moved through the stages of acceptance to become the dominant idea in creating software systems. Why did it start and what was the timeline? Why did open source work so well? What's next?
BIO: Simon Phipps is managing director of Meshed Insights Ltd, providing companies with open community engagement advice. He is a pro-bono director of the Open Source Initiative, the global steward of the Open Source Definition - OSI serves to advocate for, educate about and build bridges within the open source community; of The Document Foundation, stewards of LibreOffice; and of the Open Rights Group, protecting digital rights in the UK. His career has included early engagement in establishing Java, XML and weblogs as computer industry technologies as well as contributions to open standards in a variety of fields. As chief open source officer at Sun Microsystems he supervised the open source relicensing of Solaris Unix, Java and many other software systems.
Open source an origin story to freedom covers the origin on open source, the two main currents in the landscape and the options we now have how to go forward.
This document summarizes research on space project cost modeling. It explores the problem of estimating costs for conceptual space projects and presents information found on existing cost models from NASA, the military, aerospace companies, and other sources. The document aims to help the Vision Spaceport Synergy Team develop their own cost model by learning from established approaches and tools. It concludes by interpreting the research and providing recommendations for developing an effective cost modeling capability.
1. The governing members for the United States of America are Dr Paul L Bishop as Committee Chair and Dr Joan B. Rose as Committee Vice-Chair.
2. The representative organization is the American Water Works Association (AWWA).
3. Overview of IWA events in the US include conferences on cities of the future, water distribution systems, and membrane technology. Membership includes over 500 individual members in 2006 with around 20 corporate members.
Open source refers to software where the source code is made available to the public so that it can be modified or improved. Some key advantages of open source software include: (1) the ability to distribute modifications freely, (2) availability of source code for modification, and (3) lower costs since development relies on volunteer contributions rather than paid employees. However, open source also faces some disadvantages such as a lack of protection for intellectual property and no guarantees for ongoing development or support.
This document provides an overview of open source software and its adoption in education. It discusses the history and key people involved in open source software development like Richard Stallman and Linus Torvalds. The document argues that open source software provides benefits to education like cost savings, collaboration, and allowing older hardware to run new software. It recommends that schools adopt open source software for academic and financial reasons.
The document discusses an Innovation Cell (iCell) that aims to promote research and knowledge sharing among students and staff. This meeting will initiate a programming community within iCell by introducing Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). FOSS is defined as software that is liberally licensed to allow users to use, study, change and distribute the source code. Examples of popular FOSS projects are provided. The document outlines why understanding FOSS is important and how to become involved in the hacker community.
1. Open Source Software has enabled collaboration and connection through shared circulation of software. It addresses technological challenges in online learning.
2. Open Source Software is widely used in education from primary to post-secondary levels. It can be used on older hardware, benefiting lower-income individuals. Savings on software allows investing in other education.
3. Open Source Software development involves public collaboration on projects. Others can modify code to suit individual/group needs. It is compatible with most hardware/applications and used in business and education communities worldwide.
1) Open source software has grown significantly in popularity and adoption in recent years, with 87% of companies now using some form of open source software.
2) Open source refers to software with source code that anyone can inspect, modify, and enhance. This contrasts with proprietary software, where the source code is usually hidden from users.
3) India has actively promoted open source software adoption through various government policies and initiatives aimed at reducing costs and encouraging local development and innovation.
The document discusses free and open source software (FOSS) in education. It covers the history and philosophy of FOSS, defines key terms like free software and open content, and examines how organizations like ISTE and initiatives like the NETP 2010 support the use of FOSS and open educational resources in schools. It provides examples of how FOSS allows for creativity, collaboration, and developing 21st century skills as outlined by ISTE.
Raspbian is an optimized version of the Debian operating system designed specifically for the Raspberry Pi. It inherits most traits from Debian Jessie, but is modified and optimized to run on Raspberry Pi hardware. Originally a port of the Debian 'armhf' port for ARM-based systems, Raspbian aims to put a full desktop computer experience on Raspberry Pi devices to promote access to computing for education.
A Roadmap for Students Using FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) and Reachin...PK Mishra
The document provides a roadmap for students to leverage free and open source software (FOSS) to become self-reliant. It discusses how FOSS like Linux can provide cost-effective alternatives to proprietary software. The roadmap suggests students learn programming, databases, and analytics skills in languages like C/C++, Java, Python and tools like MySQL and R. It also recommends areas like app development, Raspberry Pi, and data analytics for students to explore. Universities are urged to train faculty and incubate ideas to realize the goals of an self-reliant India by leveraging open source software and fostering entrepreneurship.
This document provides an overview of free and open source software (FOSS). It discusses the history and definitions of free and open source, how FOSS licensing works, and three common FOSS licenses: the GNU General Public License v2, Modified BSD License, and Mozilla Public License v2. The document traces the origins of FOSS to the 1970s and the work of Richard Stallman and the Free Software Foundation in the 1980s. It also discusses the founding of the Open Source Initiative in the late 1990s and key differences between free and open source perspectives.
Accessing Higher Ground 2010: George Kerscher Keynote PresentationDAISY Consortium
This document discusses standards and implementations for accessible eBooks, including EPUB 3 and DAISY specifications. It summarizes the state of various eBook reading systems and their accessibility, noting that both the content and reading systems must be accessible for the full experience to be accessible. It emphasizes that stakeholders must work to integrate accessibility guidelines and practices into mainstream digital publishing to ensure equal access to information.
Open source software vs proprietary softwareLavan1997
The document discusses and compares open source software and proprietary software. Open source software is software with source code that is available and may be redistributed and modified under an open source license. Proprietary software is licensed under exclusive legal rights that restrict uses like modification and redistribution. Some key differences discussed include open source software being collaboratively developed while proprietary software owners control exclusive rights over the software.
20 years of open source and... what’s next?Speck&Tech
ABSTRACT: Open source started as a marketing program for free software back in 1998. Starting as a controversial and disruptive idea, it has moved through the stages of acceptance to become the dominant idea in creating software systems. Why did it start and what was the timeline? Why did open source work so well? What's next?
BIO: Simon Phipps is managing director of Meshed Insights Ltd, providing companies with open community engagement advice. He is a pro-bono director of the Open Source Initiative, the global steward of the Open Source Definition - OSI serves to advocate for, educate about and build bridges within the open source community; of The Document Foundation, stewards of LibreOffice; and of the Open Rights Group, protecting digital rights in the UK. His career has included early engagement in establishing Java, XML and weblogs as computer industry technologies as well as contributions to open standards in a variety of fields. As chief open source officer at Sun Microsystems he supervised the open source relicensing of Solaris Unix, Java and many other software systems.
Open source an origin story to freedom covers the origin on open source, the two main currents in the landscape and the options we now have how to go forward.
This document summarizes research on space project cost modeling. It explores the problem of estimating costs for conceptual space projects and presents information found on existing cost models from NASA, the military, aerospace companies, and other sources. The document aims to help the Vision Spaceport Synergy Team develop their own cost model by learning from established approaches and tools. It concludes by interpreting the research and providing recommendations for developing an effective cost modeling capability.
1. The governing members for the United States of America are Dr Paul L Bishop as Committee Chair and Dr Joan B. Rose as Committee Vice-Chair.
2. The representative organization is the American Water Works Association (AWWA).
3. Overview of IWA events in the US include conferences on cities of the future, water distribution systems, and membrane technology. Membership includes over 500 individual members in 2006 with around 20 corporate members.
Systems building-systems-a-puppet-story-19133guestd90cb0
This document provides an overview of Puppet, an open source configuration management tool. It discusses how Puppet allows systems to be managed at scale through declarative configuration code. Resources in Puppet are abstracted and portable across operating systems. Puppet brings the benefits of idempotence and reproducibility to system administration tasks.
This document provides a summer reading list for students in 3rd through 8th grade at Birchwood School. It includes required reading books for each grade as well as suggested series and topics. Students are encouraged to cultivate their reading habits over the summer and discuss their required books during the first week of school. The list also provides nonfiction topics and series for additional reading. Students are asked to keep track of events from their books or character descriptions to help remember what they read.
India has one of the fastest growing economies in the world, fueled by consumption which accounts for 78% of GDP. Services contribute over 60% of GDP, and India is emerging as a manufacturing hub with new growth areas including IT, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology. Economic reforms are ongoing with competition and innovation driving businesses forward.
Selected papers for oral & poster presentationguestd90cb0
This document provides information about registration for an event on intellectual property rights (IPR) to be held on 18 February 2008 at IIT Kanpur, India. It lists selected students who will present posters and give oral/paper presentations at the event. It also provides the topics that will be presented on. Registration can be done by payment of Rs. 500 before 18 February 2008 or Rs. 1000 after, with the form sent to the Organizing Committee chairman at the IIT Kanpur address provided.
Saurabh Jain is seeking to display his resume on his website. He has over 15 years of experience in software engineering and management roles. He is currently the Director and CEO of Thinvent Technologies, which provides Linux-based solutions. Previously he has worked at VXL Instruments, Intel, Impulsesoft, and Samsung, where he has led projects, developed firmware and software, provided support to customers, and managed teams and operations. He has a B.Tech and M.Tech in Electrical Engineering and Communication Systems from IIT Madras and has published papers and filed patents.
This document provides an overview of quality of service (QoS) frameworks for the Internet, including Integrated Services, RSVP, Differentiated Services, MPLS, Traffic Engineering, and Constraint Based Routing. It describes what each component is, how they relate to and work with each other, and presents two potential service architectures for delivering end-to-end QoS. The goal is to give readers a comprehensive understanding of the emerging Internet QoS framework.
This short document repeats the phrase "Hello Presentation with notes" three times, indicating a very brief message or title is repeated without further details.
The document contains the schedule for 2008 on-campus lab classes offered by GIA India. It lists various gemology courses along with their dates, duration, tuition fees, processing fees, subtotals, refundable deposits, and total costs. Courses include diamond grading, gem identification, colored stone grading, pearl grading, identifying treatments and enhancements, and combination classes. Tuition for one-week courses is Rs. 33,000 and shorter courses range from Rs. 3,500 for a 4-hour course to Rs. 10,000 for a 3-day course. There is a Rs. 2,000 processing fee for each course and a refundable deposit required that is typically 50% of the subtotal.
This document lists changes made in Office 2007 Service Pack 1 for various Microsoft Office applications. For each application (e.g. Access, Excel, Outlook), it provides the type of change (e.g. KB article, update), and the associated number. The majority of changes listed are knowledge base (KB) articles, with a few security updates and application updates also included. No descriptions are given for the changes.
The International Coalition of Library Consortia (ICOLC), representing 75 library consortia worldwide, objects to the American Association for the Advancement of Science's (AAAS) decision to discontinue participation in JSTOR and withhold future issues of its journal Science from the archive. JSTOR has been very successful in providing access to scholarly content across disciplines. Withdrawing Science diminishes the value of both AAAS and JSTOR to the global research community. The ICOLC urges AAAS to reconsider its decision due to the damage it will cause.
The document summarizes opportunities for growth in India's financial sector. It notes that consumption is fueling economic growth but financial products like insurance and mutual funds have low penetration compared to global averages, representing significant untapped potential. It also discusses trends toward increased banking technology and highlights the growing middle class as an important driver of future financial sector growth in India.
The .mp3 file format is an audio compression format introduced in 1989 that allows for smaller file sizes with little perceived quality loss. It was developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group and Fraunhofer Institute. While an open standard, MP3 software requires licensing fees. MP3 files are commonly used on the web and portable media players due to their smaller size compared to uncompressed formats. However, MP3 is a lossy format and not suitable for long-term preservation.
1. BE THE CHANGE – YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD
(Summary: This paper not only provides legal implications of open format but also
explains its advantages, problems and how to make them more popular.)
Last year, in the first ODF user Conference at Berlin, I started with his quote,
'Means are more important than the end: it is only with the right means that
the desired end will follow.'
This was to provide philosophical footing to use open formats. His philosophy is
deep rooted in law too. Lord Denning, one of the greatest judge of 20th century, in
R Vs IRC Exparte Rossminster Ltd 1979 (3) All ELR 385 held,
‘But it is fundamental in our law that the means that are adopted ... should
be lawful means. A good end does not justify bad means.'
In the field of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) the end is -
dissemination and communication of information and the means are
● How to achieve, implement it?
● What kind of software to use?
● What kind of standards to employ?
● What kind of formats to adopt?
Open source and open formats are right means and are the key to the future. They
will lead us to the desired end.
This year, I will rather start with another of his quotes,
'You must be the change that you want to see in the world.'
Lead by example: show the world how changes can be effected. This is, what we
have done at the Allahabad High Court: we are using open format. The documents
are being exchanged and uploaded in many formats but the first one, the original
one, is open format.
OPEN STANDARDS – GOOD MEANS
In the field of technology, standards broadly means specifications. In the digital
world, they relate to the format.
2. 2
Format is a particular way of encoding information or a method of storing
information so that a computer programme or a device may
● Understand it:
● Reproduce it; and
● Allow modifications, if the need be.
Different kind of information is stored in the digital world in various formats. And
even the same kind of information may be saved in different formats. They may be
proprietary: they could be secret and protected as a trade secret or could be
published and yet protected as a patent (as was the gif format for images). This is
not true for open formats. They are,
(i) Documented and published - sufficient to implement them in any
computer programme or device.
(ii) Made available irrevocably to everyone without any royalty or fee.
(iii) Maintained by a neutral body, where decision are taken with
consensus or majority thus catering to the needs of all.
ADVANTAGES OF OPEN FORMAT
Open formats not only avoid monopoly but encourage healthy competition.
Information technology has best flourished in the open standards: the Internet, the
web, the protocol transfer are all based on open standards. It has numerous
advantages.
(i) There is no fear of patents or licensing;
(ii) Open source software supporting ODF exists for every operating system;
they work across the operating systems.
(iii) The files can never be lost as they will always be accessible.
(iv) They can be implemented in any software making the users true
owners of their files.
GUIDELINES FOR IMPLEMENTING OPEN FORMAT
We have encountered some problems in implementing open formats. Here is the
3. 3
insight that we have gained in the process:
(i) Realisation - open format is better: It is necessary that it should be
realised that open format is better than any proprietary format: unless this is
understood, no success can be achieved. People are loathe to change the
format that they are already using.
(ii) Switch over to the office suite that supports open format: We have
shifted over to OpenOffice.org suite as it supports ODF. The E-committee is
providing desktop in every court in India. Some of these desktops are on
Windows, some are based on Linux but all of them have OpenOffice.org
Suite. The E-committee has provided Linux based laptops to all judicial
officers of subordinate judiciary in India. In all of them, the office suite is of
OpenOffice.org; it has become de-facto office suite for Indian judiciary (for
details see the article A NEW CHAPTER IN JUDICIARY AND
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY at http://kvtrust.blogspot.com/2007/07/new-
chapter-in-judiciary-and.html). This makes the ODF an automatic choice.
(iii) Provide training: Most of the computers in the Indian courts had MS Office
suite: persons were accustomed to it. OpenOffice.org suite is similar to MS
office suite yet there are some differences: there was reluctance in changing
over. To overcome this, extensive training was given. It should always be
done.
(iv) Communications may be in open document format: All communications
may be carried out in ODF. In case information in any other format is
required then it may be provided but ODF should be treated as original.
(v) Make ODF as the default saving option: The courts where MS word is still
being used and there is insistence on using the MS word, plug-in for ODF
format from Sun Microsystems was downloaded and installed. Nevertheless
the persons working on the same, are required ODF as the default saving
option.
ODF – PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS
ODF has some glitches. Here are some suggestions to make it more popular:
(i) People/ Government/ Policy makers are neither aware nor understand
its importance: More regional conferences may be held to make them
aware. In India, e-governance conference is held every year. It is organised
4. 4
by government of India. The discussion on open formats may be included in
the same.
(ii) There should be better support of the regional languages in the
programmes implementing ODF: Take the case of Hindi Keyboard. Hindi
is written in Devnagri script. It is being standardised in Unicode. SCIM,
provides the Hindi keyboard in Linux. The most popular keyboard in Hindi is
Remington Keyboard. Yet, this Keyboard was not available until last year in
SCIM. Now it has become available but it does not have all characters.
(iii) Urge governments to enforce IPR;
(iv) Catch them young: Programmes implementing ODF may be included at
the school level. Children adopt to new software easily.
(v) Increase awareness regarding open source applications among the
vendors and people: I had delivered a talk on Software Freedom Day at
the University of Allahabad on 20.09.2008 (see WHERE CAN PENGUINS
FLY at http://kvtrust.blogspot.com/2008/09/popular-open-source-
programmes-on.html). I was informed that in the computers of some of the
Departments of the Allahabad University, OpenOffice.org suite was not
provided for the reason that the vendors informed them that this programme
is difficult to use.
(vi) Use, promote, and popularise open source programmes. All of them have
ODF as default option.
(vii) Promote use of Linux or any other open source operating system. They
include open source programmes implementing ODF.
THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE
In the first ODF user workshop at Berlin, I had talked about the Aesop's fable -
'The Tortoise and the Hare'. In the story the tortoise and the hare run a race. The
hare took the lead, thought that he can always win, decided to rest, and went off to
sleep. He lost the race. The moral of the story is,
'Slow but steady wins the race'.
However, in recent times, the story has changed and so has the moral.
The hare and tortoise have run three more races and the moral has been changing
5. 5
to,
'It is better to be fast and reliable'; and then to
'Everyone has weak and strong points - play on your strong points'.
But the fourth and the last race, was run differently; it was partly on land and partly
on river. On the ground, the hare carried the tortoise on his back and on the river,
the tortoise carried the hare on his back. The result was that both of them reached
the destination quickly, saved time, and enjoyed the race too. The moral is,
'It is best to consolidate strong points'.
This is, what the open standards, open formats, and open source do . They,
(i) Consolidate strong points;
(ii) Use the IPR to prevent the hoarding of technology;
(iii) Invite others to participate in its development.
They are the keys; this is the road - to the future however, this year, I am going to
talk about a different story.
THE RETURN OF VAMAN
Jayant V. Narlikar is a leading Astrophysicist in the word. He has worked with Fred
Hoyle and like him also writes science fiction. He has written a novel by the name
of 'The Return of Vaman'.
The novel revolves around three characters: an archeologist, a physicist, and a
computer scientist. The physicist wanted to experiment with gravity and a deep
hole was being dug. In the process, the team first came across a plaque and then
a cube. They could neither understand the script written on the plaque nor the
figures on the cube. It was a perfect cube of unknown substance. They knew that it
was from some advanced civilisation. They decided to open the cube but could not
make head or tail out of it.
There was a figure on the cube showing two elephants pulling the cube in the
opposite direction without any success. They were reminded of an experiment in
the seventeenth century by the German scientist Otto Von Guericke. He had
6. 6
joined the two copper hemispheres of 51 cm diameter and pumped the air outside.
Thereafter 8 horses on each side could not pull them apart. The team realised that
the air from the cube has been removed. A thin hole was drilled, the air entered
inside, and the cube opened instantly.
It was a time capsule, informing about the advance civilisation that existed twenty
thousand years ago. There was no indication as to how it came to an end or what
happened to it. The time capsule also informed them how to make an advanced
computer. They make it and name it 'Guru'.
'Guru' tells them how to make a meter high advanced Robot. This robot is like the
robot 'Andrew' (starring Robin Williams) in the science fiction film 'Bicentennial
Man' (based on the story 'The Bicentennial Man' and the novel 'The Positronic
Man' written by Isaac Asimov). It is named 'Vaman' after Hindu mythological story.
Vaman, (like Andrew), is extremely advanced; learnt quickly and is able to take
independent decisons. But his intentions are different, 'Vaman' keeps on
requesting his creators to teach him how to replicate itself so that humanity may be
served better. This was refused; some caution is being observed.
'Vaman' is interested in learning how to replicate itself. A conspiracy is hatched:
Vaman gets itself stolen by others on the promise that it will be taught replication.
The answer to the mystery as to how that advanced civilisation perished was
mentioned in the plaque that was also found. But no one could understand the
script. It was only when the script was deciphered that the reason could be known
and it became imperative to destroy Vaman.
This is the broad plot of the novel but the relevant point of the story is,
In the physical world, the information lies in the script. Loose the
ability to read the script: you loose the information. In the digital world
the information lies in the format. If the format is closed then the
information may be lost foreever.
It is better to store information in open format; it is only then we can be sure of
owning information. In keeping our office documents in open format, we have taken
the right step and I have no doubt that a bright future awaits us.