Saturday, May 10, 2003
Introduction
The past two years (2001-2003) have been one of rollercoaster events for the Free Software community in India. Media spotlight was never lacking for community based software development efforts like this, what was lacking however was the critical mass of public opinion. In these 2 years the philosophy of Free and Open Source Software has managed to attain that much needed momentum, and currently can be proud to have initiated greater number of empathisers as well as enthusiasts.
A few definitions
Some definitions need to be put in place before the context and content of Freedom is discussed. These are based on the Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary , however I am certain that they appear as the same in any dictionary.
- Free - not dependent on others, self reliant
- Freedom - the absence of coercion or constraint in choice or action
- Choice - opportunity or privilege of selecting freely
What I propose to discuss is the relation of the concepts of 'freedom' as held out by Free and Open Source technologies in the light of the socio-political setup and the cultural milieu of a developing (pardon my non-usage of the 'third world' term here) nation like India.
Cultural Freedom
The concept of 'Culture and Computing' is not a recent phenomenon. It has been studied for quite an extended period of time, and a number of empirical studies reveal that the two are intermeshed. The cultural setting of the target audience/user base, the locale and the linguistic nuances play a pivotal role in furthering the benefits of ICT (information and communication technologies). At the grassroots level, the power of technology can be best observed when the medium of interaction is the local language. Free and open source software provides such a platform. As has been mentioned by Prof. Venkatesh Hariharan at his address at GNUnify 2003, the benefits in developing software and application suites based on such a platform ensures that localisation can be done in a manner that is 'far more culturally sensitive'. Addressing cultural issues at the level of software makes it possible to adapt the technology to reflect the reality of the social matrix. A case that is clearly not easily achieved when using and utilising closed source proprietary software and Operating Systems.
Political Freedom
The driving force of the current economy is technology. More precisely it can be identified as knowledge. Knowledge is a political currency in the sense that globalisation has ensured that competition is on to harness and filter such knowledge. ICT based knowledge initiatives are liable to be 'censored' and controlled by a central authority in case of a solution based on proprietary software. Free software based applications ensure that such shackles are broken and sovereign interests are looked into. The cultural freedom provided by Free software has direct effect on the political freedom obtained through it.
Economic Freedom
A major driving force for adoption of free software has been the cost of ownership. The economic benefits that can be accrued by such implementation are one of the plus points for the movement. Proprietary software prices do not reflect the true purchasing power of developing nations. Prohibitive and sometimes artificially high prices are one of the reasons why widespread adoption of technology meets with hurdles. Free software, especially GNU/Linux extends the freedom of cost. The economic freedom thus availed translates into social upliftment.
Social Freedom
A fallout of the cultural and economic freedom is the bridging of the 'digital divide'. Social studies have highlighted the gap between the techno haves and the have-nots, and models exist to predict the skewed social matrix. This disparate nature of the social matrix leads to a drain on the national knowledge base. Adoption of free software models to develop solutions provide a window of opportunity to such 'deprived' strata to gather knowledge. Harnessing the power of ICT based on free software ensures that social inequality (with regards to access to knowledge) is addressed.
In conclusion
Free software movement has within its ideals, the power to empower social strata as well as individuals. The reasons outlined above are compelling enough to ensure that localisation projects utilise free software toolsets to ensure greater adaptivity to ground realities. The aim of knowledge and technology in the end is to empower people to take the right decision, to make the correct choices. The impact of choosing free software and developing applications and solutions are long-term. A steady social revolution can be initiated with such efforts.
About the title
It has been an oft heard complaint that most of the titles chosen by me remain a bit cryptic. For this one, I propose to make it clear. The four directions represent the totality of our spatial surroundings. Together they make up the universe the way we perceive it to be, and are an intrinsic part of our daily existence. In much the same way, the freedoms imparted by Free Software movement become a driving force of any society, acting as omnipresent enablers of progress and equality.
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Sankarshan Mukhopadhyay is a Free Software enthusiast and a member of iLUG-Kolkata. His blog 'Random Thoughts' can be found here. Sankarshan can be reached at sankarshanm@softhome.net
- posted by sankarshan @ 5/10/2003 06:08:00 AM
