The Hindu covers the need of open source in the free laptops. http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/internet/article2137184.ece ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Sundaram Ramachandran <sundaram.ramachandran@xxxxxxxxxxx> Date: Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 8:58 PM Subject: [ilugcbe] Free or open source for students? To: ilugcbe <ilugcbe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Recent discussions on which software package to be incorporated in the free laptops to be distributed to students this year in Tamil Nadu have highlighted the attempts across the country to promote the use of Free and Open Source Software in education and other fields. It is unfortunate that while in the West, the dependence on proprietary software is decreasing, the developing countries are giving in to predatory marketing tactics, says Atul Chitnis, consulting technologist and founder, FOSS.In. Kerala has 600 open source learning centres across 14 districts, offering specialised training in animation, graphics and multimedia on open source technologies, apart from regular education. S. Shanu, convener of the Free Software Foundation, Tamil Nadu, says linguistic flexibility is a big advantage of free software. The culture of innovation and community-based support systems can transform the way students think. http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/internet/article2137184.ece ...KRS -- Regards, T.Shrinivasan My Life with GNU/Linux : http://goinggnu.wordpress.com Free/Open Source Jobs : http://fossjobs.in Get CollabNet Subversion Edge : http://www.collab.net/svnedge -- Regards, T.Shrinivasan My Life with GNU/Linux : http://goinggnu.wordpress.com Free/Open Source Jobs : http://fossjobs.in Get CollabNet Subversion Edge : http://www.collab.net/svnedge