Re: some thoughts

[Arafat Medini <lumina at silverpen dot de>]

A list of linux vendors:

http://www.linux-plus.com/ egypt
http://www.linux.com.tn/ tunisia
http://www.linux-sa.com/ saudi arabia
http://www.linux.com.kw/en/ Kuwait
http://www.masterlinux.net/about.htm egypt

Those are the only 5 linux vendors in the Arab world, very few indeed.

>I think the two go hand-in-hand.  In order for this community to grow
>and flourish, we continue to need new blood and the most fertile land
>to find those people are the universities - as people are seeking to
>expand their horizons and learn a thing or two.

I would agree with you here, after looking through the net, I found that
the Arabic community is very narrow I never thought the community is so
small in the Arabic world... that totally changed my view of Linux in
the Arab world...

>it is a grab-n-run
>attitude although they will say otherwise, but actions speak much
>much louder than words...

I am very pragmatic here: if you have the possibility to work on
something you like and earn money with it then I am not against this.
Still It would be good if some would want to participate in non paid
projects as well.

>I disagree.  Most Arabs, till this day, believe there is NO alternative
to microsoft.

I would agree here with the only difference that I think that many of
them don't even what or who is M$ even the students.

When searching for the vendors I got through nearly all the LUGs in the
AW which aren't so much really... The first thing that was really
shoking/funny is that there isn't ANY communication btw the LUGs.
No one has any relation to ANY other lug outa there...
In many countries ppl meet drink and eat make some totally silly
speeches, and then go away.
In one LUG it was mentioned in a funny way how finally gnome was totally
arabized, uhh after I worked so hard on it someone ignorant mentions it
as a gimmik without even asking of how this thing was done.
But back to the LUGs,I think we indeed need a super LUG and we need to
contact all the ppl out there, the situation looks catastrophic. Nadim
as you asked to assign some work I think we have to send to all the LUGs
a banner they have to show on their website, this is a minor first step
this is very minimal and it wuold be only a drop on a hot stone, and we
have to convince them that it is in THEIR interest to show this banner.

GITEX, after seeing its website I thought why haven't we made more from
gitex? go into cooperations get more from the ppl who were present
there, make a REAL arabic distro etc... SO many idea... I didn't think
that gitex was such a big event. We could have taken far more from it
then some pics.

>[...]
>If you think about it we could have a single site who's mandate
>[...]

I totally agree with you here. Let us at least work on two points:
contact ppl with a banner in the hand and make the super (meta) LUG.

universities: if this was successful so why don't all of you who live in
the Arabic countries try something like that?
In tunisia there are "dar ashabab" is there something like that in other
Arabic countries? If yes why only universities? go to computer clubs,
dour ashabab, etc... and make this only one weekend in a month it so
much fun...

>"I hardly ever
>need to use Arabic on my computer"

ALL the gnome hackers use desktops with their languages, believe me I
nearly took a look at EVERY SINGLE desktop of the gnome hackers and ALL
of them where in their native languages.
At least the countries I know germany and japan there isn't any single
pc running in english. in japan all the pcs run in japanese and in
germany all the pcs run in german.
He's simply a dumb looser. That's from the hacker standpoint. He's a
very narrow minded person doesn't even know why he's hacking on a pc.
I enjoy my gnome desktop in Arabic even if I normally use also german,
french and japanese this person has to come to me and speak with me as I
know 5 languages...(don't call me arrogant but I'll sure become so to
make him look silly)

To the normal users, I mean come on the arguments speak without even
writing them down, how could you make linux or the PC go into the lowest
levels of the population if you don't make it in their native languages?
How can you transport knowledge if not in your language? 
This brings me to a very interesting idea, all the big cultures in the
world study scineces in their native languages only the ARabic
countries, even in China ppl tudy science in chinese with that difficult
alphabet you see, but we call translation work not crucial, the
situation looks indeed catastrophic.

So what do you suggest ?

the most important point is to dicuss and dicuss and to discuss a third
time and a forth, to make idea mature that's the most important thing I
think. We have to analyze the situation make it clear and  understand
it.
You're suggestions and all what you ALL did alone is a wonderful example
of great work really. So the point is first to reorder things, that was
the intent of my mail and it still is.

the "who will do this Q", let me quote Elzubair:"That's not a bad prep
speech ;) Seriously though, I think I have just
demonstrated the worst case scenario of a lazy core member."

I have a very nifty idea: let us force the lazy members to do some work.
where is Anmar? Where is Azawawi? where is Elqibbany? Where is Twaijiry?
(I know he will kill me for this) etc... We need to force them to do work
I mean we're not loosing anything... If he doesn't come he wouldn't anyway,
but with forcing him to a shedule the possibilty that he will work raises.
but then force ppl to do for eg. easy parts. 

Well I am very frustrated at the situation but it seems it is not really an Arabeyes
problem it is an Arabic problem, I'll not wonder anymore why the Arabs are in such a bad pos.

yours
Arafat