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Fri Jun 7 15:13:55 EAT 2013

Some developments as FOSS begins to inch it way back into the ICT arena

Uhuru means Freedom, Right?

This week, it was
reported<http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Uhuru-secures-Microsoft-support-for-computers/-/1056/1871904/-/7i517tz/-/index.html>,
that Kenya’s President, H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta agreed to a pact by the
Software Giant, Microsoft, through their Microsoft International, to
provide, among other things, 260,000 Computers for children in Kenyan
Schools.

In only 48hours, the news of this had spread like a wild fire, among
Africa’s premier FOSS community  - FOSSFA <http://www.fossfa.net> Members
Forum – and has elicited a continent wide bag of mixed reactions. Coley
Zephania did not mince his words “Microsoft has struck the Head. FOSS is
dead in Kenya!”, he urges a mode direct approach, asking FOSSFA to make
immediate plans to meet with the Kenyan Government over this matter. Juma
Lungo from Tanzania was more optimistic, “I believe FOSS Kenya will forge
its way. There is always an opportunity window” .” Lets unite and support
FOSS in Kenya”, is his plea.

One of Kenya’s beacon for the success of FOSS is Strathmore University,
where FOSSFA Council Members John Matogo and Dr. Joseph Sevilla have moved
swiftly to announce a forum on the Presidential deal with Microsoft – If
you are in Nairobi, 18th June is the Date. Accra based AITI-KACE Director,
Dorothy Gordon is a woman who is as graceful as the African gazelle, and
her wisdom, echoed by Uganda’s James Wire, was diplomatically clinical:
Establish the facts, Seek out for Openness on the entire deal, and then Use
Kenya’s strong social and traditional media to help alert the public on the
long term effects of this deal.

Alex Gakuru, is home grown, and has been around FOSS for a long time. He is
a man of many words, but this time, he chose only 10 “I beg to differ. It
is trauma, way beyond panic.”

So on and on, the reactions come, from Malawi, Uganda, Togo and Zimbabwe.
One thing is for sure, everyone keeps wondering how best to react to this.

*Why does this bother FOSSFA Members?*

Simple, because Uhuru means Freedom. Its a powerful name to have. Its been
a country’s slogan for decades, and its a word understood by anyone in the
East African Community. You see, Free and Open Source Software is really
about Freedom. Whereas Kenyans should be grateful about the technology
influx, they should be worried about the freedom such a Vendor takes away,
perhaps not now, but in the long run.

Microsoft will appear to (and indeed give) Free Computers, BUT these
computers will need to run Software! Microsoft may, for publicity’s sake,
even give the Software for free, but we sure know that this giant has not
made money over the years through philanthropy, they have sold Software
Licences, among other things.

And lets not forget that Microsoft Operating Systems are not “self
contained” – soon you will have to buy an Office Suite, Adobe, Anti-Virus
and other such tools. In effect, unless Microsoft can guarantee life-time
FREE COSTS upfront, for all software requirements, there will be some kind
of payment, sooner or later. But you see Free Beer is one simplistic (yes –
but in Africa, very vital) way of looking at this.

At FOSSFA, we think about this Freedom, not as Free Beer (exclusively, or
only) but as Free Speech. As such, we subscribe to GNU’s popular definition
of Free Software:  *Free software is a matter of the users’ freedom to run,
copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software.*

More precisely, it refers to four kinds of freedom, for the users of the
software:

   - The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).
   - The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs
   (freedom 1). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
   - The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor
   (freedom 2).
   - The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements to
   the public, so that the whole community benefits (freedom 3). Access to the
   source code is a precondition for this.

These are not just your run-of-the-mill freedoms, these are fundamental to
how we view Software. This is UHURU – in the world of Software. These
freedoms guarantee far much more than well packaged goodies
from Proprietary vendors. If Microsoft can guarantee these freedoms, then,
perhaps all is well. My experiences tell me otherwise.

You see, these computers, 260,000 of them, are not just going to help
Kenyan students get online, they are also going to be the first place that
innovation and other tech inventions are envisioned. Am glad the President
is quoted to have mentioned that “…his government is ready to enter into
partnerships that will facilitate the implementation of ICT programmes in
the country in a cost-effective manner” and that “…his government will
provide all the facilitation needed to roll out the partnership in line
with the existing laws and regulations”

We, at FOSSFA, mean well, as hundreds of FOSS Users in the world, such as
the French <http://aful.org/communiques/univ-offers-me-windows> association,
helping Students get back refunds over Microsoft Software sales, and
telling you about the uncanny features of Windows
8<https://www.fsf.org/windows8>,
and why it may not be a wise upgrade.

In March 2014, FOSSFA will hold its flagship African FOSS Conference –
IDLELO <http://idlelo6.fossfa.net> – in Nairobi, Kenya. We hope to have H.
E. Uhuru Kenyatta, so that, together with the Kenyan FOSS Community, and
the wider African FOSS Community, we can advocate for a Software
environment that encourages Freedom, afterall, Uhuru means Freedom.

From:

http://bssennoga.wordpress.com/2013/06/07/uhuru-means-freedom-right/

--
Ismail

On 5 June 2013 12:17, Ismail Settenda <ismailmss at gmail.com> wrote:

> Meanwhile in Kenya;
>
>
> http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Uhuru-secures-Microsoft-support-for-computers/-/1056/1871904/-/7i517tz/-/index.html
>
> Regards
>
> --
> Ismail
>
> --
> Please excuse any errors or omissions as this has been sent on the xoom.
> On Jun 4, 2013 3:39 PM, "Hamisi Jabe" <administrator at banana.co.tz> wrote:
>
>> The free in free software is meant like free in
>> freedom not like free in free beer...
>>
>>
>>
>> *****************************************************************************
>>
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