Re: some thoughts

[Muhammad Alkarouri <malkarouri at yahoo dot co dot uk>]

On Sat, 2004-02-21 at 14:03, Arafat Medini wrote:
...
> 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...
> 

Yes it is. With no total cost of ownership incentive (a large number of
the IT community use pirated software) and less emphasis on quality of
service in businesses, reasons for Linux are much less that the
supporting logic on the west.
We really need to apply the itch theory here.

> >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.
> 

I respectfully disagree. The problem is that not people who do not know
of linux. The problem is that when I tell someone that there is
something called linux, he tries to use it beside windows, compares
them, and believes that linux is not ready to be called an alternative.
With four or five of these people in a computer science class, it is
quite possible that you lose the class for good.
Now, please tell me why is linux good, assuming that I am an arab.

> 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.

Attitude. Arabs are usually at the receiving end of technology, so no
one thinks he can do something about it (or some other arab).
In fact, I am still amazed by the number of arabic books that use the
official microsoft arabic vocabulary (المفردات العربية الرسمية
لميكروسوفت ).

> 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.
> 

+1 for Arabeyes banner. Only, give me the banner.


> 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 still feel that the easiest places to grow through are the
universities and the companies/government, simply because I don't know
of an idea to break through the other communities.
For a start on an idea, we need some propaganda that basically says
(linux use is cute) or something like that. A better idea is to appeal
to a real practical use.
An example, some one looks at the kiosk mode in KDE and, with assurance
of good arabic support in KDE, linux can be the preferred operating
system for internet cafes (need maintainability and accountability).

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

To be fair, the only reason I personally activate arabic on my computer
is to support the arabic language, through arabeyes and otherwise.

> He's simply a dumb looser. That's from the hacker standpoint.

I am afraid most of the people who we would like to win are not
interested in the hacker standpoint.

> 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.
> 

We really need that.

> 
> 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.

It is an Arabic problem. That doesn't mean we are not going to try to
solve it anyway. It will not be solved overnight, though.


Regards,

Muhammad Alkarouri