OpenSource in Latin America

[gashcr]

I am very new in the linux world, as I have barely been using ubuntu for a month( my very first distro). I am more than pleased, and looking forward to get more people involved. All this open source philosophy makes me think that open software is just what countries like Costa Rica, in my case, should promote in order to reach a good technological development in the biggest part of society, I mean, the poor and low middle class sectors. Due to the lack of resources of the major part of population, they are unable to pay those ridiculous prices for a software license, even less for a mac system ( a far far dream for the average ). I really see that most people over the internet complains about linux system because of minimal issues ( I cannot get 3d accel, cannot play TV, cannot play my videogames, bla bla bla ). For all those people who prefer to stay in win just to have its entertainment issues solved... please, don´t complain about opensource... as in some parts of the world, as I see it, where we just want to be productive in a competitive world, without being forced to pay for our right to improve, opensource solutions rules!! I hope someday my country will turn the opensource way, and I encourage all the Latin Americans in this forums to do their part in promoting opensource a way for the development of our countries.

[luizfar]

Actually it is already reality in some countries.
Brazilian government is supportive to the open source ideas, and many of governamental companies are using this kind of software nowadays.

[Toadmund]

That's what is needed, another revolution, seems countries like South America is where interesting things are happening, politically, and now technologically.

Up here in North America, we are too complacent and set in our ways.

[Hex_Mandos]

Several districts in Argentina have started to migrate. I wrote an ordinance proposal for my city, which probably won't pass, but it's a start.

[Hendrixski]

Cuba is making a HUGE switch to linux. They're making their own distribution, based on Gentoo. Open Source is really doing a lot to help developing nations. Because a lot of people who care about Free Speech inthe software world, they also care about the developing world.

Read about OLPC - that is One Laptop Per Child. Every child in the world can get a laptop which will help him/her learn about the world. They can chat on the intenernet, read information, they can even post here, from a small laptop designed for exactly that.

Linux and the rest of Open Source is doing a lot of good for the world.

[IYY]

There are many programs that involve setting up computer labs with older, Linux-running machines in Latin America and Africa. There's also the One Laptop Per Child project ($100 laptop) that aims to distribute free laptops (running Linux!) to children of developing countries.

The difficulty is that Windows and Windows-software is being pirated in those countries, so the price for it actually is $0. Microsoft doesn't do anything about it, because they know (Bill Gates said this) that it helps keep the population addicted to Windows and once the countries can pay for licenses and fines, they will be asked to.

[Dyegov]

I liove in Colombia, and I have made the finall move to Ubuntu with Feisty Fawn. It is so easy to get what you want. I have already ordered some CDs, so I can giv them to my friends. I have already got some of the interested, andbthey are thinking about the change.

I think this new version is more Windows User's friendly, so the move can be done easily. Good point for Linux ;)

[celsofaf]

Actually it is already reality in some countries.
Brazilian government is supportive to the open source ideas, and many of governamental companies are using this kind of software nowadays.

Yes. Many municipalities are also changing their computers to opensource OSes, even the government of big and important cities like Fortaleza (which is switching to a Debian variant). The university where I work/study also does a lot to promote opensource stuff, the federal government is giving tax incentives for computers with opensource software (even if it's not working well...), etc etc. Lots of good improvements over here.

[Ender Black]

As an estadounidense living in Paraguay, here's my take on the Open Source prospects in parts of Latin America. Firstly, I think it would be great if Open Source caught on in Paraguay. It would be great, get this, for Microsoft. What?!? Here you can buy every piece of software ever made for next to nothing. Need Office 2007, just walk on down to the nearest street corner and pick it up for a couple of bucks. I am in no way a MS fan, but I do believe in fair business and protecting intellectual property rights. Also, being an American from the United States, I don't think I will base what Cuba and Venezuela do as something to emulate. The only reason they are migrating to OS is to get away from US made products and free up capital to buy off more latin governments and enslaving their people to the whims and of Hugito Chavez and his oil money.

[diskotek]

this also ha a slow start in Turkey; national technology inst. is developing linux distro for that as well: pardus (http://www.pardus.org.tr/). they made a such a big step i believe. i hope they will move to open source completely soon...