Re: [Fsfe-uk] Fwd: OSS Watch inaugural conference, 11 December 2003

[Ramanan Selvaratnam]

Hi,

I read all the mail on this with great interest.

On Thu, 2003-11-27 at 14:06, Tom Coady wrote:

> > why is an open-source group at an 
> >open-source conference having an MS presenter?  Presumably it's in some sort 
> >of misguided attempt to be "fair" and hear "both sides of the story".  
> >
> 
> Na, they are just going through the motions of their constitutional 
> objectives to justify JISC funding:
> 
>    1. To provide the UK HE/FE community with a reliable, focussed[sic],
>       and ongoing *unbiassed[sic] appraisal* of those items of OSS and
>       those associated open standards which are perceived as having
>       major relevance to the needs and objectives of the UK HE/FE community.
>    2. To offer *learning opportunities* about OSS for HE/FE
>       institutions, by means of at least two public meetings in each
>       year of the service.

May I know whether we  have we tried to get in touch with JISC before
writing them off?
I know everyone invovled so far is busy etc. but lets take an informed 
look at the pathetic situation.

JISC claims to provide a "strategic guidance, advice and opportunities
to use ICT" [jisc.ac.uk]... I could not spot the above but it is full of
similar sentiments.

If I understood it correct they preside over the present and future
directions of the JANET, emerging Grid infrastucutre at one level.
Then on another level they deal with all the interoperability mumbo
jumbo (please not at the conference there is welcome presentation by
Java folk and possibly M$ .Net are the ones there)
Then they set the pace for the culture around software though resources
like [http://www.mimas.ac.uk/]. I use the word culture when looking at
the resource like COPAS (see pull down menu) with 'free' splashed all
over it.

I would not be surprising if they are in the middle of BCS managed ECDL
that is doing most of the damage within the '.ac.uk' domain too.

One thing that is clear is tha the students are both the commodity and
consumer here and exploitation is the only word I can think of. 

We probably have to try few times for the AFFS to be recognised as a
body that should be kept within a loop of internal info emanating from
the JISC.
eg, the original mail was sent to a wide ranging interests and we must
demand to be within that 'circle'.

IN the long run it is the students that we have to reach out to . Well
many here are students anyway. The future belongs to us. 

Also please have  alook at this 
http://www.chest.ac.uk/software/select6/student.html
http://www.chest.ac.uk/software/select6/
Freedom to copy and use these products on other machines!! 
If we just sit around not doing anything the next AFFSOC might have M$
lecturing about this new found freedom.

Regards,

Ramanan