Open Source Cyber Cafes

Just few months back, my work needed me to ride the information super highway (a.k.a. Internet). But as my net connection at my home was down, I went to the local cyber cafe, just around the corner. But I was welcomed by the owner with a shocking surprise. Instead of arrays of cubicles housing flat screen monitors, the shop now sported all the computer accessories and peripherals ! I was then supplied by the "inside info" that the police were pestering the owner and other cyber cafe owners in our area for possessing illegal softwares. Actually, the local police were under the pressure of the ministry, and were given powers to raid any cyber cafe at their discretion. The cyber cafe I visit have all licensed copies of the softwares they use! Yet they were forced to shell out wads of gandhi babas. Tired of warming the pockets of local "goons", the owner took the decision to change the line of business. Soon the cyber cafes started disappearing one by one! Once upon a time every lane in our locality had a cyber cafe! But now the epidemic of cyber plague wiped out all the cyber cafes from our area! That moment I just had a passing thought! How about an Open Source Cyber Cafe (OSCC)! Whether there is any practicality to this idea or not... I doubt! But there is no harm in checking out this option! By OSCC I mean, the computers in the cyber cafe will run Free or Open license operating system, like LINUX. Linux is an open source operating system. It simply means that if you are a programmer, and have an idea of improving the operating system then you can tweak the codes and have a customised operating system. You do not have to seek any permission from anyone regarding the little engineering you make. If the same were to be done on Microsoft's softwares, they would have screwed your arse hard! Infact, if your little engineering on the linux ops were really intelligently beneficial then, the distributor may choose to include your codes in the next upgrade of the OS! Linux has many distributors, viz. Debian, Mandriva, SuSe, Vector, Ubuntu, Red Hat etc. etc. They all market the Linux product. Although they are free, it does cost you to buy their product. The term "FREE" denotes freedom, as in freedom to tinker with the codes of OS. Not free as in FREE LUNCHES! If the local cyber cafes would carry these "free" OS on their consoles, then it would definitely leave the local police perplexed! Well, on what basis will they exhort money? But then as I said earlier, implementing this on a practical angle is quite difficult. Why? you may ask! Firstly, If you ask any layman in India, what OS do you have on your PC; Windows... tad comes the answer! To hear that a person using Linux is as rare as looking at Mona Lisa's original painting. Indian "Tech Geeks" seem quite averse to the friendly li'll penguin called Tux (That's the brand symbol of Linux) They give lengthy comments on Linux being "non-friendly" as if they have extensive experience working at CNET.com as reviewers! It's like commenting on Black Forest cake being spicy hot even before eating it! Secondly, the police are not the ones who will give up easily. One must fear the appetite of a hungry lone wolf, goes the old jungle saying. Well, its applicable even in concrete jungle! Thirdly, the cyber owners will lose out steam (read interest) of running the Open Source OS very soon. That's because very few people will come to such joints. Simply because, it's very difficult to brainwash a prejudiced Indian mind. For Indians, Linux is as alien as a creature from planet Pluto! That's it! While getting ready to type this post, I searched the internet for any existing OSCC's . That's when I stumbled upon Gary's Musings . One point to be noted here is that Open source softwares can be used freely for commercial operations also! So next time you get an opportunity to operate Linux, Just do not miss it. I am 100% sure that you'll just fall in love with it. It's graphics supersede that of Vista! Its minimum stress on the resources is unmatched by any of MS products! Its security is un-breach-able. Viruses stay a million miles away as Linux is un-vulnerable to 99.99% of viruses created! It is also crash proof, unlike Windows! The question now remains, why has Linux not reached the pinnacle of popularity despite its merits! This gives me an opportunity to write another blog! Comments on this post expected. Take care. O.A.K.