Linux Journal: Liberation Technology

“The recent Finnish study on the significance of FLOSS
(free/libre and open-source software) in developing countries
labels itself version 1.0 and ushers in a new concept–not free as
in beer or speech, but free as in education. This report, the
latest in a series of studies on the impact of free and open-source
software worldwide, focuses on the third world. It has been
sponsored by Finland, home of the Linux kernel. ‘This is the
beginning. We will put out our findings on the Net and hope to get
ideas on improvements (to the study),’ says lead researcher
Niranjan Rajani, originally from Pakistan and currently based in
Helsinki. ‘This has become a project that most probably will not
have an end. You could consider this report [to be] version
1.0…this is just a starting point,’ stressed Juha Rekola of KEPA,
a Finnish network of non-governmental and campaign organisations
involved in the study.

“Rajani, a philosopher who took to computing to earn a living,
looks at the impact of FLOSS in specific countries, and he also
views the implications of what it means for a cash-strapped
economy. He has few doubts about the usefulness of FLOSS, which he
believes would be ‘extremely relevant’ in any of the poorer parts
of the globe. He says, ‘Take the example of education. In terms of
computer education, FLOSS has no match. Nothing else provides [as]
much value to learners as FLOSS does. You’re free to tinker with
the code. Not only that, you can get in touch with the people who
wrote the code and ask why this or that was done in a particular
piece of code.

“‘[FLOSS] offers low entry barriers. That’s how it should be
described. It reduces the barriers for anyone wanting to enter this
field by making everything open. So much so, that many people fail
to appreciate that fact. Besides, there’s the element of cost. Most
of the studies show that, in terms of cost, free and open-source
software is unmatched. Some studies have been made which tend to
show that, in certain cases, FLOSS may have more immediate costs.
But I doubt the seriousness and validity of these studies on the
ground that these studies do not take into account what would be
happening if there was no FLOSS. Where would the cost structure of
the current software be…?'”

Complete
Story