[ Thanks to An Anonymous Reader for
this link. ]
“At first glance Free and Open Source software should
be perfect for places like Mali. The local economy is poor, and
average salaries make proprietary software an unimaginable expense
for most people there. Yet the place is overrun with copies of
Microsoft Windows. This is the toxic effect of what is called
software “piracy” of course, although it bears little resemblance
to what occurs off the coast of Somalia and is better called
copyright infringement, as that’s what it really is. Copyright
infringement doesn’t sound as threatening or scary as “piracy”
though, does it ? The outcome of this rampant illegal software
copying is that Windows is seen as “the first world standard” and
any attempt to push a cheaper alternative is strongly resisted.
They consider it trying to cheat local people out of getting the
same quality of software that is used in the developed world, even
though it’s a legal way of getting quality software for
free.”