Dear members,
Warm greets,I bring to your notice and request your suggestion on some
issues which cripple my mind for a while.
My prime business for my bread is machine assembling, and in the
recent past, The orders have dried due to some lack of attention of
mine towards business. having said that, Now my eyes are wide open and
eager to win some machine support orders like installation of
OS/Office tool. This time which is my second innings i pledge my self
that i will only install legitimate software and a point blank no to
pirated editions. Today i was called by one of my client to fix some
problem in his machine, The order seemed to be upgrading his machines
hard disk and installing a cd writer in his machine. He has a zycel
modem which is provided by airtel. As you know all this ISPs are
wicked in not providing support like device drivers for their modem in
linux environment.
My client is a Managing director of a well know state government run
organisation. When i told him about the implication of problems that
might rise in the event of installing a windows sofware and told him
about linux and its righteousness in giving solution. As my client's
only task is to check emails , download some files in the attachment
which he transports from his office which are created in the microsoft
environment and browsing, i suggested him to get a router which is an
additional cost of Rs99/month as rent provided by airtel.My client
relents to pay this expense and says it as an additional expense for
no matter he is not bothered what is the os or the legitamacy of the
software be.The awkward think is that he expects me to install a
pirated version of windows product, my concious declines in giving
such solution.Some time law makers are law breakers too.The gentle man
who declines to pay Rs99/month , imagine will he buy a licensed copy
of M$windows Xp &office which mounts to Rs9000/-+
There are 2 things i want to know,
1) Do nasscom or any governing body doesnt bother to lay strict norms
in bringing the legitamacy of software copyrights and hunt for pirated
users , as the list of people's databases can be had from all the
isp's.This way we can bring FLOSS need felt by the common computer
user. well some crude method, but most medicine doses are not sweeter.
secondly the ISPs who doesnt give a linux support like the drivers for
their modems, are they termed as offenders of service, as they push
the people to commit a crime( i mean installing a pirated software
like M$windows for a sake that isp modem only has a window driver).
are these isp's are keen in pushing the modem and expect the users to
hang on in the pirated version of software.Are these ISPs are
nominated back door partners of Microsoft.
2) What are the parameters which will make my business model (i deal
only FLOSS) more renumerative in terms of volume base. I charge only
for my service and not for the software. What are the points i should
look at as a machine support guy and what are the parameter i should
talk to a pirated user for migrating him to the FLOSS community.
Any way , my hands are clean and i will never ever install pirated
software. I may lose this order , as i lose a battle and not a war.
Looking for some comments on this issue.
Thyagarajan Shanmugham.
Cheers