Random thoughts and serendipity

Yesterday I was reading a book by Paco Underhill regarding buying trends at malls and retail stores (more on that in a separate post). And, I was wondering when was the last time I went out and ‘bought’ software. Some brain_cpu cycles later it struck me that the last piece of software that I purchased was this one, since the preloaded version that I got saddled with had come unstuck. This was after I had bought Red Hat Linux from FreeOS.

A strange sensation really. I use and consume software or, software as a service, on a daily basis. And, if one discounts the OS pre-loading on the cell phone, I have not actually gone ahead and bought software for around 10 years now. I do my bit for various FOSS projects, chip in with money to a select few or nudge-push-poke some projects to become better. But, living a decade and functioning fully without having to commercially purchase software is something that is totally jaw droppingly awesome. The software development model of FOSS and the collective collaboration that it spawns makes it possible.

And, then we wonder, why is it difficult for more people to really ‘get it’.

Runa went to the puja at Rohi Villa Palace, on 7th Lane at Koregaon Park, Pune and took a couple of nice photos.

We went to visit the Durga Puja at the Congress House at Pune. The book shops were missing, the cutlets were not ready. But the goddess was there alright. Resplendent and magnificent.

I get into these discussions and notes-exchange at random intervals most of which relate to ‘teaching programming methods and implementations. So, I started reading up Reflections on the Teaching of Programming: Methods and Implementations (Lecture Notes in Computer Science).

As the blurb states the

topics addressed span a wide range of problems and solutions associated with the teaching of programming such as introductory programming courses, exposition of the programming process, apprentice-based learning, functional programming first, problem-based learning, the use of on-line tutorials, object-oriented programming and Java, the BlueJ environment to introduce programming, model-driven programming as opposed to the prevailing language-driven approach, teaching software engineering, testing, extreme programming, frameworks, feedback and assessment, active learning, technology-based individual feedback, and mini project programming exams.

I went through “Experiences with Functional Programming in an Introductory Curriculum” by Michael R Hansen and Jens Thyge Kristensen. And, I’d say I was surprised.

আগুনের পরশমণি ছোঁয়াও প্রাণে ।
এ জীবন পুণ্য করো দহন-দানে ।।
আমার এই দেহখানি তুলে ধরো,
তোমার এই দেবালয়ের প্রদীপ করো –
নিশিদিন আলোক-শিখা জ্বলুক গানে ।।
আঁধারের গায়ে গায়ে পরশ তব
সারা রাত ফোটাক তারা নব নব ।
নয়নের দৃষ্টি হতে ঘুচবে কালো,
যেখানে পড়বে সেথায় দেখবে আলো –
ব্যথা মোর উঠবে জ্বলে ঊর্ধ্ব-পানে ।।

এ মণিহার আমায় নাহি সাজে –
এরে পরতে গেলে লাগে, এরে ছিঁড়তে গেলে বাজে ।।
কণ্ঠ যে রোধ করে, সুর তো নাহি সরে
ওই দিকে যে মন পড়ে রয়, মন লাগে না কাজে ।।
তাই তো বসে আছি,
এ হার তোমায় পরাই যদি তবেই আমি বাঁচি ।
ফুলমালার ডোরে বরিয়া লও মোরে –
তোমার কাছে দেখাই নে মুখ মণিমালার লাজে ।।

Atul posted the mail as a prelude to the much awaited CfP. And, I’d say that it is going to become a much forwarded and much discussed mail. It is meant to be that. Discussion is good. Results are much better.

It is somewhat difficult for an event to re-invent itself and yet keep the focus on the underlying theme - “Talk is Cheap, Show Me the Code“. It takes introspection, it takes ambition and it takes faith. So, this time around the focus is clear enough - no content that is aimed at newbies (which was there last time around as well) and a strong focus on getting things done. To that extent, I’d hazard a guess that the selection of submissions would go through a fine tooth comb to see if they are actually about approaches to solving a defined problem. It is not going to be a “look at me and my project and ain’t I cool” talk again. And, to augment the need to sit down and “work” there are Project of the Day and FOSS Workouts.

Effective this year, FOSS.IN will focus on developers, and results. It
will highlight credible efforts by people in India contributing to FOSS,
and will bring together developers at peer level, to allow them to
interact, discuss, develop and deliver.

“Delivery” does not mean mere bug fixing. Delivery will be new features to
existing applications, completely new subsystems (e.g. file systems,
device drivers, etc.), (re)design of systems and applications, etc.

But of course this doesn’t rule out why folks come to events - to meet other people, get familiar, discuss a niggling issue and have loads of debugging sessions and debates.

FOSS.IN is supposed to be a meeting ground for existing and potential FOSS
contributors, so that they can put faces to IRC nicks, discuss, interact,
collaborate, plan, debug, etc. all through the event.

We want people to come to FOSS.IN with definite goals in mind, and fulfil
them at the event. Whether it is improving an existing project, launching
a new one, brainstorming with your peers, with international participants,
etc. We want to see high-intensity FOSS contribution happening, or being
seeded, in the 750 seater hall, the corridors, the BOF tents, the lawns,
the lobbies, etc.

It is going to be a different event. It is going to make you think. It is aimed at making you do things. It is thought out to be a new experience.

Don’t say you weren’t forewarned.

The event is near and the CfP is nearly out. From a GNOME perspective there seems to be a resurgence of interest in a talk+hack_session on performance improvement for GNOME and Gnome Mobile. Is anyone out there interested in picking these up and proposing sessions ? More ideas are certainly welcome on the mailing list.

Dipankar Gupta has an article in the India Today special issue called ‘Transforming India’ (dated 06th Oct). Some of the numbers from his piece do make for interesting reading:

• India spends around 45 billion USD on Research and Development (he doesn’t specify what exactly counts as R&D, but those line items should be available somewhere)
• From 1990 till 1998, the spend on R&D and Technology Training came down from INR 219 crore to INR 156 crore (note: 10 million make a crore)
• The global rank of some of the institutes are as follows: IITs (50th), IIMs (84th) and JNU (192nd)

He goes on to add that India doesn’t cut a dashing figure in the Scopus Index as well.

There would be more such numbers available to show that

• the country isn’t doing enough by means of policy and implementation to encourage basic science and technology
• the country isn’t getting its act together to ensure primary education is being delivered correctly

State run/sponsored/funded schools still take in a large segment of the student population. And, various schemes notwithstanding, the schools have a systemic problem in terms of delivery of content and availability of teachers.

Today is Mahalaya and the early hours of the morning were spent listening to Mahisasuramardini which featured Birendra Krishna Bhadra. Sublime. And as is the norm, Supriti Ghosh’s rendition of Bajlo Tomar Alor Benu brought back memories of days long gone.