Posted on 09/06/2002 2:12:28 PM PDT by anotherview
ISLAMABAD, September 06 (PNS): While the government continues to engage Microsoft Corporation in dialogue to seek exceptional discounts for making its software as platform for official operating systems, a recent notification suggest that the stage is being set to adopt Linux instead.
"Linux is going to be the cornerstone of this initiative, as it is world over the Open Source movement," said the official correspondence confirming its decision to replace the pirated Windows-based systems already in use in the government offices.
On the other hand, the government has sought huge discounts from Microsoft Corporation for adopting its software as platform of choice for the official machinery. The PC-1 for the project has not been approved so far, PNS has learnt on authority. Well-placed official sources told PNS, "The Microsoft Corporation has already offered over 90 per cent discount to the government but we want to press for more cuts in prices."
The notification issued undersigned by Salman Ansari, advisor to Minister for Science and Technology Dr Atta-ur-Rahman, says the Linux Task Force will be responsible for technical review of the proposals and PC-1s besides coordinating on all technical and administrative matters related to Linux and the government.
T
he decision may pose serious problems for the clerks community serving in the government offices who has now learnt Windows operating systems after about a decade of hard effort. As per the notification, the task force comprises professionals with the objectives of overseeing and driving the development of Linux in the IT community.
The ministry explains, "Open Source is a global information technology phenomenon that brings the benefits of using and developing cutting edge software technology to all." Open Source software frees economically deprived entities from the burden of resorting to software piracy for their genuine software needs. "Since the government of Pakistan is committing itself to the reduction of piracy and the protection of intellectual property rights, a programme to make Open Source technology indigenous in the country is strongly needed," said the official notification circulated to the forum members.
The process of making Linux and open source technologies indigenous has to follow the open source model itself. "Hence the Linux task Force is being established consisting of volunteers with the desire and capability to participate in the process."
The notification explained professionals in the Task Force would also come out with R&D programmes for creating government-funded projects to create user-friendly client-server software, training strategies and usage in the development of applications.
The government plans to form various sub-groups under the umbrella of the Linux Task Force, which would contribute by initiating various inventive projects in different critical areas with regard to Linux.
The newly formed body will also "help in formulating policies and guidelines that will in turn create opportunities for Pakistani people in the field of Linux."
The task force will hold meetings, seminars and conferences to "propagate and educate the user community at large." Policy makers, technocrats and technical experts from various software houses will participate in such programmes to bring awareness of Linux and enhance its usefulness among the layman class, said the official document.
The ministry hopes that the professionals associated in the task force would take up various threads and perform various key activities to engage their professionalism for achieving important ultimate goals of Linux.
Salman Ansari explained in the notification that the initiative has roots in several discussions on the issue of protection of intellectual property rights and adoption of open source as a national strategy. The goverment believes that this would "provide a basis for creating a skill set to enable our people to do original work, create a pool of Linux expertise and get into the real nuts and bolts issues like embedded software using the Linux platform."
Perhaps Microsoft should pander the the Islamic Repbublic of Pakistan by changing the "blue screen of death" to the "green screen of death".
Why? Linux isn't a strictly American phenomenon.
The guys in the data centers in Pakistan aren't the same guys wandering around in the hills feeding and arming Al-Queda operatives.
There's no deep conspiracy with all of the countries that are turning to Linux. It's really simple. They don't want anyone but themselves to have control of their data. Not Microsoft, not the FBI, not IBM or Siemens or Group Bulle.
With Open Source, it's possible to both get your code from another country AND be able to trust that it is not phoning it home to Redmond. With closed source software, you can only infer that your data is safe. With open source, you have the ability to be sure of it.
I hardly think this is something for Linux lovers to boast about.
My, my. A whole bunch of accusations and mudslinging, and even a back-handed shot at the entire Open Source system without one iota of evidence. Let me guess, your a Microsoftie, aren't you?
From the point of view of a capitalist business owner responsible to shareholders for proper financial management of a company, please explain why it is better to spend thousands of dollars in license fees on Windows machines rather than get the same or better fuctionality for no cost.
Likewise, from the point of view of a sovereign nation responsible to it's citizens for properly securing government secrets, please explain why it is better to spend thousands of dollars in license fees on Windows machines that cannot be proven to be secure rather than getting the complete, reviewable source code for a product with the same or better functionality for no cost.
Some soverign nations, notably some third world nations, are not signatories to the agreement that extends US copyrights and patents into their countries. Therefore, in those countries, Microsoft's US copyrights have as much legal standing as West Palm Beach, FL littering regulations.
And as you are so obviously a Microsoftie, you should be careful tossing around that "you get what you pay for" line. Considering the stability, security and cost of Windows, "you don't get what you pay for, no matter how many times you pay for it" is closer to the truth.
The CIA has a duty to get information about foreign governments and terrorist organizations. Having an operating system available that doesn't have nice little backdoors in it for them to access will certainly make their job harder.
But the same OS will make it harder for the FBI to monitor posts back and forth to RKBA sites, make the computers for pro-life organizations harder to monitor and keep the next Democratic administration from checking your email to see if you've been writing your congressman and complaining about her new policies.
Police agencies are going to have to work a little harder to gather evidence when people use secure operating systems. That's the job they've got, but it's not my job to roll over and let them hack my system to do that. If they want to monitor me, they're going to do something that they probably aren't used to. They're going to have to do some old fashioned police work.
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