Freedom Walk – in Brief

Freedom walk is a project aimed at spreading the message of ‘Freedom in Society’, ‘Freedom from Environmental Issues’, and ‘Freedom in Software’ and to promote activism around these freedoms. As part of this mobilization campaign a team of volunteers are going to walk from Kasargode to Trivandrum and organize seminars and talks on these freedoms at educational institutions and non profit organizations.

Additionally we hope to connect with people and organisations who share our vision and to work together for our common cause. We are also planning to launch a collaboration platform for such individuals and organizations to help them to work together and also to harness the power of the web to improve their efficiency.

Click here to read more about the project

The participants are as under

• GNU/Linux Users Group Trivandrum

• Swathantra Malayalam Computing

• SPACE

• Free Software Users Group Calicut

Linux and GNU

http://www.gnu.org/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html

GNU History

http://www.gnu.org/gnu/gnu-history.html

Why schools should exclusively use free software

http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/schools.html

Selling Free Software

http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/selling.html

Why Software Should Not Have Owners

http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/why-free.html

Over Coming Social Inertia

http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/social-inertia.html

Free Software Movement

http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-software-intro.html

Why “Open Source” misses the point of Free Software

http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html

Why Copyleft?

http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/why-copyleft.html

Copyleft: Pragmatic Idealism

http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/pragmatic.html

Is Microsoft the Great Satan?

http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/microsoft.html

Ajaykumar - KSEB , Prof. K. Pappootty (Director of the State Institute of Encyclopaedic Publications), Mr. Joseph C Mathew (IT advisor to Kerala Chief Minister )

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Balram navigates cyberspace like any other net surfer. The visually-challenged youngster, however, uses a different set of tools to scan online newspapers and browse e-mail messages.

Mr. Balram has reason to become a die-hard advocate of free software. Addressing a function organised here on Saturday as part of the ‘Software Freedom Day,’ he explained how packages like Ubuntu and ORCA had enabled him to overcome his physical constraints and explore the cyberworld like any other youth.

The programme was organised by the GNU/ Linux Users Group, Thiruvananthapuram, Free Software Foundation of India and Society for Promotion of Alternative Computing and Employment (SPACE).

Addressing a seminar held in connection with the event, noted campaigners for free software activists spoke on the applications available for various user groups and their advantages.

Representatives of the Kerala State Electricity Board, Kerala Khadi and Village Industries Board and the State Institute of Encyclopaedic Publications spoke on how the adoption of free software had changed the functioning of their offices over the last one year. Institute director K.Pappootty explained how patent and copyright laws had led to the privatisation and monopolisation of knowledgeIT adviser to the government Joseph Mathew said the proposed International Centre for Free and Open Source Software in Kerala would harness free software for the development of technology in various sectors.

The event also included the screening of two films, Elephant Dreams and Big Buck Bunny, and a documentary titled Steal this Film, all produced using the Blender free software.

Demonstration of free software applications for the differently-abled and desktop effects were also arranged as part of the event. Another highlight was a tutorial for students and others interested in computer programming. A Freedom Toaster vending machine installed at the venue evoked a good response from those interested in installing free and open source software. As many as 40 students, teachers and technical experts participated in the workshop.
Courtesy – Thehindu

Peoples to see, hear and clap

Two pages from roll of secondary nutrients and trace elements

A preliminary study started by me by the application of one spoon Borax (sodium meta borate – trace element Boron)  mixed with 10 litres of bio-gas slery  for 7 rubber trees. Boron deficiency on acidic sandy soil is a reason for the application for a study. One of the three recovered from brown bast and getting average yield and other six trees are recovered from brown bast with out proper milk vessels.

I am thankfull to Dr. Thomas Vargees for providing Borax for my studies.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The IT@School project on Sunday issued guidelines for the use of internet in schools. The guidelines stipulated that the schools should ensure the using of internet by students of Standard- VIII and Standard- IX for at least five hours in a year and Standard-X students at least 10 hours.

As IT@School has already provided broadband internet connectivity, the teachers should ensure that the students use it for activities relating to websites, wikepedia, search engines, e-mail, blog, chatting and search for curriculum related activities, the guidelines said.

All high school students should have to create their own e-mail address. They should be given training in using e-mail.

The internet should be used only with the permission of the teacher who is in charge of the internet.

The internet modem should be connected to the server computer which can be controlled using a password. The details of the usage should be entered in the logbook. Efforts should be put in place to ensure that students do not visit unnecessary websites. This can be ensured by creating necessary control facilities in the server and using the security facilities in the web browser.

Worksheet of at least two activities relating to the internet should be included in the practical record book to be submitted by the SSLC students at the time of public examinations. The circular and the model of the logbook is available in the website www.itschool.gov.in, the guidelines said.

Courtesy: expressbuzz