Open Letter To Mammootty: Difference between revisions

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Being the Diretor of a majour media initiative(Kairali TV, Malayalam Communications Limited) that claims to be people-oriented both in terms of its initial resource mobilization tactics as well as its professed comitment to people's causes, it is embarassing to see that such concerns are completely sidelined in favoue of a hideous agenda of a major US based IT giant, despised even in its homeland for its monopolostic tendenices

We are assuming that you were not given enough information about the IT Scenario we live.

Software is a tool and a means with which we can achieve a lot of things. In this respect , it is similar to infrastructure like roads and rails . Using Microsoft software is akin to using a road built by a private agency who levies a charge for its use. Any further development to that road and the terms of usage of that road will be subject to the whims of that private agency alone , however insane it be. Free Software is like an alternate road , with equal or better quality. It is community owned - public property. Which modifications has to be done , what has to be done and where it has to be done is driven by public need and is not influenced by a private party.

When we use Microsoft's products , which do not gives you the 4 essential freedoms in Computing (Right to study, Right to Copy, Right to modify and Right to Redistribute software), we are subjecting ourselves to what is called vendor lock in. They can end their support our computer systems whenever they will want to. We will be left hanging in the air when they demand more money for upgrades to their software ( which as past has shown , requires more expense in the form of hardware requirements also) . We will be left without a choice. We do not want a society dependent on a company for any need.

There are equally good , community owned replacements to Microsoft products, which gives 4 essential fredom to users.

The company you has a track record of being fined($1.35 billion) for Antitrust Charges in European Union for not complying with EU standards and trying to avoid giving essential information required for interoperability to others by asking for a huge price. As the report says, "Microsoft was the first company in 50 years of EU competition policy that the commission has had to fine for failure to comply with an antitrust decision," [http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/28/stories/2008022854441401.htm The Hindu February 28, 2008]

Microsoft -the company with which u planned to sign contract- have a track record of being fined($1.35 billion) for Antitrust Charges in European Union for not complying with EU standards and trying to avoid giving essential information required for interoperability to others by asking for a huge price. As the report says, "Microsoft was the first company in 50 years of EU competition policy that the commission has had to fine for failure to comply with an antitrust decision," [http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/28/stories/2008022854441401.htm The Hindu February 28, 2008]

~~There are equally good , community owned replacements to Microsoft products, which gives 4 essential fredom to users.~~

The state government's IT policy is based on Free Open Source Software (FOSS). ~~The Central IT Commission~~ also recommends using FOSS. Recently , BIS has voted against standardizing Microsoft's OOXML and has adopted ODF , an open standard. The people and Government of Kerala has identified the superiority and excellence of FOSS and has already [http://www.indianexpress.com/story/280323.html introduced it to our schools] and government institutions.

The state government's IT policy is based on Free Open Source Software (FOSS). 11th 5 year plan also recommends using FOSS. Recently , BIS has voted against standardizing Microsoft's OOXML and has adopted ODF , an open standard. The people and Government of Kerala has identified the superiority and excellence of FOSS and has already [http://www.indianexpress.com/story/280323.html introduced it to our schools] and government institutions.

Microsoft has realized that they are being pushed out in favor of superior free and open software.Their move to exploit your fame in the name of e-literacy is just one of their underhanded tactics to push their proprietary software into the market and among the people.~~Please don't allow this.~~

Microsoft has realized that they are being pushed out in favor of superior free and open software.Their move to exploit your fame in the name of e-literacy is just one of their underhanded tactics to push their proprietary software into the market and among the people. U

We hope that being a thinking man , you will realize the error in endorsing proprietary software and will persist in your mission of bringing about IT to the common man via free software and open standards.As a great man who has added to the culture of Kerala and India , please do set an example by using and promoting Swathanthra Software.

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 Being the Diretor of a majour media initiative(Kairali TV, Malayalam Communications Limited) that claims to be people-oriented both in terms of its initial resource mobilization tactics as well as its professed comitment to people's causes, it is embarassing to see that such concerns are completely sidelined in favoue of a hideous agenda of a major US based IT giant, despised even in its homeland for its monopolostic tendenices
 We are assuming that you were not given enough information about the IT Scenario we live.
 Software is a tool and a means with which we can achieve a lot of things. In this respect , it is similar to infrastructure like roads and rails . Using Microsoft software is akin to using a road built by a private agency who levies a charge for its use. Any further development to that road and the terms of usage of that road will be subject to the whims of that private agency alone , however insane it be. Free Software is like an alternate road , with equal or better quality. It is community owned - public property. Which modifications has to be done , what has to be done and where it has to be done is driven by public need and is not influenced by a private party.
 When we use Microsoft's products , which do not gives you the 4 essential freedoms in Computing (Right to study, Right to Copy, Right to modify and Right to Redistribute software), we are subjecting ourselves to what is called vendor lock in. They can end their support our computer systems whenever they will want to. We will be left hanging in the air when they demand more money for upgrades to their software ( which  as past has shown , requires more expense in the form of hardware requirements also) . We will be left without a choice. We do not want a society dependent on a company for any need.
+There are equally good , community owned replacements to Microsoft products, which gives 4 essential fredom to users.
-The company you  has a track record of being fined($1.35 billion) for Antitrust Charges in European Union for not complying with EU standards and trying to avoid giving essential information required for interoperability to others by asking for a huge price. As the report says, "Microsoft was the first company in 50 years of EU competition policy that the commission has had to fine for failure to comply with an antitrust decision," [http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/28/stories/2008022854441401.htm The Hindu February 28, 2008]
+Microsoft -the company with which u planned to sign contract- have a track record of being fined($1.35 billion) for Antitrust Charges in European Union for not complying with EU standards and trying to avoid giving essential information required for interoperability to others by asking for a huge price. As the report says, "Microsoft was the first company in 50 years of EU competition policy that the commission has had to fine for failure to comply with an antitrust decision," [http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/28/stories/2008022854441401.htm The Hindu February 28, 2008]
-There are equally good , community owned replacements to Microsoft products, which gives 4 essential fredom to users.
-The state government's IT policy is based on Free Open Source Software (FOSS). The Central IT Commission also recommends using FOSS. Recently , BIS has voted against standardizing Microsoft's OOXML and has adopted ODF , an open standard. The people and Government of Kerala has identified the superiority and excellence of FOSS and has already [http://www.indianexpress.com/story/280323.html introduced it to our schools] and government institutions.
+The state government's IT policy is based on Free Open Source Software (FOSS). 11th 5 year plan  also recommends using FOSS. Recently , BIS has voted against standardizing Microsoft's OOXML and has adopted ODF , an open standard. The people and Government of Kerala has identified the superiority and excellence of FOSS and has already [http://www.indianexpress.com/story/280323.html introduced it to our schools] and government institutions.
-Microsoft has realized that they are being pushed out in favor of superior free and open software.Their move to exploit your fame  in the name of e-literacy is just one of their underhanded tactics to push their proprietary software into the market and among the people.Please don't allow this.
+Microsoft has realized that they are being pushed out in favor of superior free and open software.Their move to exploit your fame  in the name of e-literacy is just one of their underhanded tactics to push their proprietary software into the market and among the people. U
 We hope that being a thinking man , you will realize the error in endorsing proprietary software and will persist in your mission of bringing about IT to the common man via free software and open standards.As a great man who has added to the culture of Kerala and India , please do set an example by using and promoting Swathanthra Software.