Mirrors wanted
Lots of blips on my feed radar about the upcoming FOSS.in due to hit Bangalore early December. Impressive lineup of sponsors. Wow! Their host, IISc is even better. That’s all great, but I think they forgot one tiny detail: mirrors. A pity.
I’d like to think events like FOSS.in are not just meant for showcasing your l33t skills, kernel diving sessions, roping in sponsors, or finding exotic venues; it is about getting software in the hands of users by creating awareness, and creating an environment to host software, persuade sponsors to donate bandwidth and space. If you want software democracy, then get the infrastructure for it to propagate and resonate through the system. In a country like India, starved for bandwidth, I think, we could do better than one—the IITM, the only1 host mirroring the one OS that has the best chance of reaching—and becoming part of—the mainstream.
So, here’s a gauntlet to all Indian high-tech, high profile universities—the IITs and the IIMs—that enjoy tax-payer funded unrestricted and super-bandwidths: Would you like just being a glamorous host to a 4-day geek fest like the FOSS.in, or prefer a less glamorous role of hosting FOSS mirrors, from which real masses can benefit—every computing day of their life?