[Oriya-group] A proposal to revitalize ILUG-BBSR

[Gora Mohanty]

Hello,
  If open-source software (OSS) is to really make
inroads into Orissa, the Linux Users Group of
Bhubaneswar should have a key role to play in it.
There
is now a fair amount of interest in OSS, among
students and in government agencies like OCAC.
Software companies like InfoSys that are now setting
up base in Bhubaneswar have pretty active internal
Linux user groups, and several smaller companies are
also starting up Linux/OSS training centres and
programming ventures. Likewise, it should be possible
to promote usage of OSS in educational institutions
and
NGOs. For example, I just recently became aware that
OPEPA (the government of Orissa agency for developing 
primary education) has deployed several hundred Linux
machines in primary schools, including some fifteen-
odd in and around Bhubaneswar. Therefore, we should
try to take advantage of the recent buzz around OSS.
  I think that the immediate aim of ILUG-BBSR should
be to get together an active group of users who are
interested in promoting and using OSS. Such a group
should have regular interactions electronically
via groups/mailing lists, with occasional physical
meetings. Initially, the meetings can be pretty
informal where we take turns to talk about some
software that we found useful, or a particular trick
that saved us time and money. As other LUGs do, we
can offer day-long installation festivals where we
install Linux for free on any computer that anybody
brings to the meeting. Hopefully, we can then start
having formal meetings, with invited speakers.
  So, I would like to hear your opinion about these
ideas, and if a group of people like them, I would
propose that we hold an organizational meeting within
a week to ten days. You are welcome to suggest venues
for the meetings. The initial meeting can be held at
Srujanika in Jagamara, near Khandagiri, but I think
that it is best if such ILUG meetings are held in
Bhubaneswar proper, preferrably in several different
venues by rotation. While I can't speak for such
organizations, possible venues in my mind could
include any of the various major colleges, on the
premises of private Linux companies, the Institute of
Physics, OCAC, etc. Views, flames, etc., are invited.

Regards,
Gora

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