GNUsGrazing:8November2008

From FSUG-Bangalore

Time: 3 PM , 8th November 2008 Saturday

Venue: Centre for Internet and Society, No. D 2. Third Floor, Sheriff Chambers, No 14 (old no. 10),Cunningham Road, Bangalore. Ph +91 80 4092 6283 It is the same building as Wockhardt Hospital. Please use the side entrance. You have to climb 5 flights of stairs. it is just above the United Breweries office floor. It is opposite Bangalore Chamber of Industries and Commerce (BCIC).

Google Map

Contact: Anivar Aravind Ph +91 9449009908, Renuka Prasad +91 9901945674

[edit] Agenda

GNU/Linux in Karnataka Schools , What we can do?
Planning events during RMS visit in Bangalore
Release of Kannada translation of Free Software Free Society
Followup on Say No to Software Patents Campaign
SFD Essay Competition. Review of entries

Jamie King, from the The League of Noble Peers :-) (director of Steal This Film (Two)) is now in Bangalore. Sunil is trying to arrange a screening of this Documentary & interaction with director on same day evening with Pedestrian Pictures. If we are planning this as an evening meeting we can participate in it too.

Note: Please note that the screening of Steal this Film is shifting to the Nani Cinematheque (at the Centre for Film and Drama) on Millers Road. We hope this won't be an inconvenience to anyone, since the new venue is only a five-minute walking distance from the CIS office (and might be easier to locate as it is better known in the film screening circles). The director of the film, Jamie King, will be there for post-screening discussions. (Update from Pranesh Prakash through Facebook, updated by Parthan)

[edit] Minutes

Meeting started at 3.15 PM . 24 people attended. Discussions started with the planning of Programmes during RMS visit in Bangalore. Decisions on the meeting is updated by Parthan in Event planning page . Vikram Vincent, Confirmed the Christ's willingness to host it in Common Banner .

GNU/Linux in Karnataka Schools , What we can do?

Anivar briefed about the status of GNU/Linux Karnataka Schools. DSERT is already distributed GNU/Linux pre-installed systems to 700 Govt Schools in Karanataka. The phase 2 of this project will start actual implementation in a month or so. We heard Phase 2 (Educational content & Training) is already Contracted to EDUCOM . (need to check the details) . From Preliminary Discussions DSERT seems to be open for Discussions. Meeting decided to do following steps

Analyze the status the project in near by Govt school. and report in mailing list
Discuss with Teachers Unions
Start a campaign to support usage of GNU/Linux in this project and train teachers
Continue interactions with DSERT and show them Kerala IT@School example & if possible Kannada Text books from Kerala
Pressurize Intel & EDUCOM to make Phase 2 on Free Software.

Followup on Say No to Software Patents Campaign

Pranesh briefed about the progress of the Campaign and Discussions with Govt. The drafting of new Definitions for "Software Per Se" is going on now. The steps to identify already granted patents and raise Pre-grant /Post grant Oppositions on some trial cases is also going on. The meeting decided following steps

Create a website called NoSoftwarepatent.in as the public front end of No Software Patents Campaign.
Call for Volunteers to analyse Prior art/ Critiques on Subject matter for already granted Patents.
Madhusoodhanan volunteered for Creating the website. The Domain was Sponsored earlier by Praveen A

SFD Essay Competition. Review of entries

Response on Essay Competition is too low now. We couldn't able to follow the campaign much. The meeting decide to extent deadline for One more month . FSUG volunteers need to popularise it in various colleges & Schools. to get maximum number of Responses.

The meeting Finished at 5.15 and left for the screening of Steal This film in Centre for Film and Drama