Slashdot Mirror
Linux in Iraq
Nereus writes "The BBC News is reporting on the newfound popularity of Linux in Iraq. The article discusses how the Iraqi Linux User Group believe Linux will aid the Iraqi people in the rebuilding of their country, and the benefits of open source in Iraq."
If the Iraqi population is not already hooked on the MS stuff, maybe the widespread anti-American sentiments could help gain such a company an important advantage over competing companies which provide similar services for (unauthroized copies of) proprietary software?
Under construction: swpat politics overview article
Computers are fairly common there actually, I remember reading a story in the NYT about how a IT person for one of the army units went out to buy a bunch of 64mb flash drives and was able to find a lot of (pirated) software like Photoshop and Windows at the store.
"For years, I struggled with reality... but I'm happy to say I finally won out over it." -- Elwood P. Dowd
Are you sure? How much is the price of CDs with MS software (copied without permission from MS) on the streets of Bagdad?
How does this compare to F/OSS?
Under construction: swpat politics overview article
The article also points out that Microsoft are "helping" rebuild the country with huge discounts on licenses (i.e. free???).
How long are these licenses to be free?
It's not just drug dealers that get people hooked by supplying freebies until users get dependant.
Corporations who bid through an open bidding process, not due to their influence on our own, corrupt administration.
Government burns down. Corporation burns up. Profit is made. Bribes are exchanged. Cycle repeats. Meanwhile, innocent people suffer.
One of the major "selling" points of Linux is cost. Obviously there are other reasons to use it (security, flexibility, access to source code, etc.) but most laymen don't care about those reasons...they just care how much it's going to cost them.
As was mentioned in the article, most of the software in Iraq is pirated, so cost isn't really an issue since most people don't pay for software. So, in my opinion, Linux is going to have a bit of an uphill battle to gain wide acceptance among the people. Government instutions and large companies might see it a little differently since they're more likely to abide by the law, but I just don't see your average Iraqi citizen using Linux (which he's probaly has never heard of) when he can get Windows for free.
Check out the June 2004 Issue of National Geographic. In it is a story on Iraq. Shows some good pictures of what can happen to a computer user that has the wrong kind of material on their computer. You get a beating by a religious fanatic. Of course that all depends where you live. This showed one Shiite region.
I wonder what OS is the best for assisting in inspecting peoples computers so you can beat them if you don't like what is on it?
The good thing with Open Source is: you cut its head off and it will fork three new heads.
Move Sig. For great justice.
It's never too soon for any joke! This planet would be a sad place if it was...
So why is Iraq's unemployment rate still hovering at around 25%- same as when Saddam was in power- if all this work is being done by Iraqis? There are some facts that just don't add up in the story.
SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
I'm betting that 99% of Iraqis are just fine, but it's that damned 1% that you've got to worry about
And I'm betting that 75% of those 99% think that those damned 1% are heros.