National Free Software Conference, Boycott Novell & Turn outs

I am staring an FAQ to answer questions aimed at me in various mailing list. I will update this post by including new Questions and answers.

Q: Who Organised National Conference on Free Software what was your role in it?

A: National Conference on Free Software was Organised by Cochin University of Science and Technology(CUSAT), Appropriate Technology Promotion Council(ATPS), IT@School Project of Kerala Gvernment, Open software Solutions and Industrial Cooperation (OSSIC). They also invited other groups supporting the Free Software cause such as KSSP, KSEB, Indian Linux User Group Cochin , Swathanthra Malayalam Computing(SMC) etc to be part of Various commitees to support the Conference. I was included on programme commitee representing Swathanthra Malayalam Computing(SMC). We made some suggessions like removal of Anand Parthasarathy from Meet the Personel section (He is a pro-patent, pro-proprietory gadget reviwer well known in Free Software Circles as a person spreading Fear, Uncertainity & Doubt about Free Software) and suggested some rearrangements in schedule and including new people. Few of them were accepted but changing of people like Anand was not possible due to pressure from some organisors who does not have much exposure in free software.

Q. what are your activities in National Free Software Conference? Why you didn’t Organised protest in First day

A: We were invied as speakers and resource persons to conference and too busy with a lot of stuff. We were too busy on First day with Localisation Track on Computer centre, Localisation of swathanthra Software session in Photonics department, meeting friends in the sidelines. Anil already aware that we were completed speaker registration by 7.30 PM . We were noticing Novell’s platinum sponsorship banners in Open air stage during evening plenery & sitaram Yechuries Speech.

Q. Are you a member of FSF India. The event website’s speaker list lists you as a member of FSF India

Q: It is without my Knowledge. After jayakumar pointed it in the sidelines of the conference , I communicated with joby . In my presentation, He introduced me as a member of SMC and Movingrepublic

Read the complete National Free Software Conference, Boycott Novell & Turn outs post and watch the videos of the incident