[Chinese-translators] Re: Study of use of free software in (supposedly) developing countries

[Chao-Hong Liu]

If you would like to help in this study, please
contact him.

Date: Fri, 19 Jul 2002 10:25:13 +0300
From: Niranjan Rajani <address@hidden>
X-Accept-Language: en-us, en
To: address@hidden
Subject: Re: Significance of Free/OpenSource Software
for Developing 
Countries

Richard Stallman wrote:
> Please send me a brief description of your study,
> and I will forward it to various people in
developing countries.

The description of the Study, and a brief description
of what the 
research assistant is required to do.

We already have Indian-Subcontinent and Arab World
covered, and we are 
talking to a couple of people in Africa.
The need is for:
1. South America and
2. China plus South Korea, Thailand, Singapore,
Malaysia, Indonesia, 
Taiwan
3. Africa

Brief Description of the Study.
-------------------------------
The Goal is: To find out/evaluate/analyze the extent
of use of
FS/OSS, especially some of its most significant and
popular projects;
GNU/Linux, Apache, Mozilla, OpenOffice etc. in the
Developing 
Countries,
and its possible impact on economies, societies and
lives of these
countries.

The study will point to the difference between Free
and OpenSource, and 
then treat all Free as well as OpenSource as FS/OSS
(Free/OpenSource 
Software). I find that approach more practical for the
purpose of this 
particular study, because both of these software
types, are in more 
than 
one ways similar from the point of view of a typical
Developing Country 
entity or user.

Next will be discussed various aspects and potential
benefits for the 
Developing Countries, definitions and brief overviews
of other 
important 
and related concepts like: Intellectual Property,
Piracy, Public 
Domain, 
Patents, etc. etc. etc.

Next will be an overview of the region/area of study,
subdivided as:
Africa
- English Speaking Countries
[South-Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Nigeria, Ghana.....]
- French Speaking countries
[Senegal, Congo......]
- Portuguese Speaking countries
[Guinea Bissau, Angola]

Asia
- China and SE Asia
[China, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia,
Indonesia, Taiwan]
- Indian Sub-Continent
[India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan]

Arab Countries
- Less economically well-off countries
[Morocco, Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Jordan...]
- Oil rich Arab States
[Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Iraq, Libya...]

South America
- Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Peru, Chile...... etc.

After an overview of Information and Communication
Technology ICT use 
in 
general in these countries, a review of FS/OSS use, as
well as 
potentials for such a use will be reviewd.

Next is to take look at problems in the possible
extensive use of 
FS/OSS 
in these regions. Some of the most noted problems in
this regard being: 
Bureaucracy, Corruption, Lack of a Governmental
Policy, No-Availability 
of Trained Professionals, Lack of Educational and
Research Facilities, 
Brain Drain, Piracy, Political Freedoms, Technical
issues like 
Localization of Software etc. etc

Also will be reviewed some existing FS/OSS projects in
these countries,
hopes and expectations of the people behind these
projects, failed as
well as successful projects, and projects which are in
the making, i.e,
which are being started now or soon, so as to follow
some of these
projects and see if they live up to the expectations
of the 
originators.
One such very interesting project is for example
Chinese Fonts Project
which has somehow been dropped from the web pages of
FSF-China, or any
other similar projects.

The Conclusions part will try to see in what fields of
life FS/OSS can
help Developing Countries, and how should Finnish
Development Aid
proceed in order to make its efforts more efficient
and useful. The
emphasis is on democratization, alleviation of
poverty, conflict
resolution and reduction, and sustainable development.


Currently we need two research assistants for the 2nd
and 5th regions 
described below.

Regional Research Assistants.

   A research group in Helsinki, Finland, working on a
paper 
"Significance of Free/OpenSource Software for
Developing Countries" 
needs research assistants, for the following regions:
     1. Africa (excluding Arab Countries)
     2. Latin America
     3. Asia (excluding the groups 4 and 5 given
below)
     4. Arab World and Israel
     5. China, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore,
Malaysia, Indonesia, 
Taiwan.

   The research assistant will investigate and write a
report of about 
5-15 pages, consisting of:

     a. a brief overview of the overall ICT usage in
the agreed region,
     b. a general overview of the use of
Free/OpenSource software in 
the 
agreed region
     c. a description and analysis of interesting,
challenging, useful 
FS/OSS projects in the area, in any walks of life
(NGOs, Government, 
Industry, Private Sector, Public Services, Education,
etc. etc.). It is 
not COMPULSORY to go through all of these sectors, and
the researcher 
is 
free to emphasise the sector most interesting to
him/her depending on 
intimate knowledge of that particular  sector.
     d. a description of any projects-in-making, and
some brief 
expectations of the project leaders. The idea is to
look for projects 
which are about to begin, so that we can follow those
after a period of 
time and see if they meet the expectations of the
originators.
     e. ideas about the future course of FS/OSS, any
suggestions 
regarding possible future projects, which can:
- help enhance democratization,
- provide access to knowledge,
- help alleviate poverty,
- contribute to sustainable development,
- any other significant result.


   The research assistant will be paid a modest sum of
about a 1000 
Euros at the completion of the research.

   A more detailed guideline will be provided to the
individual once 
agreement has been reached.

   The report should be ready by mid September 2002,
in order to 
integrate it to the final paper.

   _The sub-researcher will provide an update of any
special 
development 
or change in the reported projects by the second week
of October 2002, 
in order to finalise the final paper_.

   The main mode of communication is going to be
e-mail, with 
occasional 
telephone conversations. The document format is good
old plain text, 
html, OpenOffice document or pdf.

   A meeting of all the research assistants is
possible, but not 
certain. If that becomes a reality then all the
reasearch assistants 
will be invited to Helsinki to present and discuss
their findings with 
the main group consisting of:
     address@hidden
     address@hidden
     address@hidden

   If you have any further inquiries, please feel free
to contact 
address@hidden



thanks

niranjan



-----------------------------------------------------------------
< 每天都 Yahoo!奇摩 >  www.yahoo.com.tw