The Goa event is approaching quickly – time to get cracking on new content for my talks.

Apparently the Goan government recently decided that spending 10 Million Rupees on software from Microsoft is cheaper and more effective than using OpenSource software for school. It seems that while they werent willing to spend Rs.100 on some printed documentation for their Linux-equipped PCs, they have no problem pay upward of Rs.3,000 per PC thinking that they will get printed documentation with Windows (Microsoft no longer ships printed documentation – everything is on CD – just like with Linux).

Someone should also tell them that most of the ancient (486/P1/P2) equipment that the schools use are almost certainly incapable of running this software (while Linux runs just fine on them).

I am going to ask the SALIS people if we could arrange to have the Goa Computers for Schools Project (GSCP) show their stuff at the event and maybe talk about it – that should provide quite an eye-opener.

In 1999, the BLUG participated in Bangalore IT.COM under the motto “Seeing is Believing”. It was great fun to see tons of nay-sayers (“Linux? Only for techies, not user friendly!”) get their first *actual* exposure to Linux. The loudest sound you could hear was that of jaws hitting the floor.

Let’s see what happens in Goa.

In other news – in three days (i.e. on the 20th) is my birthday, but I am too broke to party.

Bleh!