[PLUG] [DIRE-HOPE] - suggestion for Ilug threads considering (fast) forwarding technology, education and career related threads

[Rajagopal Swaminathan]

Greetings,

Purpose:
To initiate and sustain a thread which will endure, contribute
accurate, practical and useful knowledge and skills for generations to
come by endowing them with the "inside" knowledge and hence giving
them the Occam's razor and necesary crisp tips and tools  to weed out
salestalk and succeed in life using open source methodology.

Locii standii:
I have been a subscriber of this list for a very miniscule period
considering the list's lifetime.

I wish The list outlives me by decades.

I know a bit or two in technology, be it electrical, carpentary,
civil, metullurgical, financial and the such: call it occupational
hazard.

I am not a PhD. I will never arrogate myself beyond a SSC/HSC/high
school pass maverick. (You have been warned, "Graduates" ;) )

I am a man with family responsibilities which more or less excludes me
from following my dream. I am an "aam-aadmi" not an "aam khane waala
aadmi" (mango eating person)

When faced with solving an open source query, I more often than not
have to choose catching a train or a bus.

I have spent over a quarter of a century in the treacherous trenches of IT.

I *do* expect somebody to respond to this post.

Precedents:
I have posted several links in the past to get a discussion going on
various aspects of getting respectability from the "industry",
whatever it is, for an aspiring "professional"

I don't have the "missionary zeal" of KG, but make no mistake, I too
have dream -- a big one at that. Dreamers are "poor" by definition of
course.

Assumptions:

Given that everyone have the luxury of following their passion,  it is
not possible and probable given the nature of Indian scenario, that
everybody has to agree with what is being set out here.

Academia has the most horrible intake of technology in India. contrast
western academia which *produces* technology. I won't blame them. They
are bound by the draconian politicians and the "system"

Intentions:

To have a holistic approach, not piece meal approach.

The entire IT landscape is to be mapped and open and closed source
software used in every domain where IT is used.

Endeavor to develop an subcontinent wide support ecosystem. At the end
of the day, any solution's success depends upon the ability to get a
neighborhood support person to fix a problem.

Past efforts and weaknesses:

Self-centeredness. ego-centricism. "fanboi" mentality. patronising
attitude. Lack of humility.

eg: There was an effort to write a text book for CBSE in in doldrums.
The entire opportunity was wasted away.

Every community effort initiated is viewed with jaundiced eye, or
worse, by ignoring it and worst, by not appreciating it.

Lack of feedback on solutions provided.

Observations:

Trust. Trust is the building block.

Verification is the cement.

Possibilities:

Every one in this list is trusted. Hence every idea/statement is
valid/true because somebody has taken effort to make it public.

Of course it is obvious and necessary that it has to be verified.

Of course it is possible that some people can and make money off it. so be it.

The key point is let the idea take the leadership.

Multi-lingual oral transmission in colloquial and local paradigms.

Some suggestions for way forward:

1. FSF India / various ILUGs ratification of
courses/methodologies/products/projects (with Due credits  and
_respect_ to the initiators)
2. Initiate projects in association with the govt to get traction
(Govt has money and lot of scope for such projects)
3. Collaborate with SME/Pvt/BFSI players for commercial aspects
4. Focus on solving existential problems though it is sometimes
excruciating to our beloved ego.
5. Design for failures.
6. Exploring Multiple deployment patterns
7. Acting (and not re-acting) on negative feedback (any control system
would know it instinctively)

Parting thoughts:
We as a community should be driving force.

India with over 1/6th of population should better start leading the
knowledge transmission with confidence and not with fear of being
overtaken -- a Guru never fears a shishya.

I will request the readers to contemplate last sukta of the oldest
known open source text to humans -- Rigveda -- from our very own soil:

http://sanskrit.safire.com/pdf/RIGVED.PDF -- Page 2

1. Agni, showerer (of benefits), thou who art the lord, thou verily
combinest with all creatures, thou art kindled upon the footmark of
Ila, bring unto us riches.

2. Go together, speak together, know your minds to be functioning
together from a common source, in same manner as the impulses of
creative intelligence, in the
beginning, remain together united near the source.

3. Integrated is the expression of knowledge, an assembly is
significant in unity, united are their minds while full of desires.
For you I make use of the integrated expression of knowledge.

4. United be your purpose, harmonious be your feelings, collected be
your mind, in the same way as all the various aspects of the universe
exist in togetherness,
wholeness.

I submit with Regards,

aa no bhadraaH kratavo yantu vishvataH
(Let auspicious come to us from the Universe -- veda)

Rajagopal