Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Brazil giving away free software. Good Idea? Bad Idea?
The brazilian government is going to switch from costly operating systems made by Microsoft and others to free operating systems, like Linux. Brazil recieves government financing to be able to give their people free software. Their government is also going to make computers very cheap so the low income, and working class people can buy a computer at a reasonable price. The Brazilian government is really trying to help their people become computer literate.
"Walter Bender, the executive director of the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, whose opinion was solicited by the Brazilian government, replied in a recent letter that "high-quality free software" has proved more effective in stimulating computer use among the poor than scaled-down versions of proprietary software.
Though he said he did not oppose giving consumers a choice, he concluded that "free software provides a basis for more widespread access, more powerful uses and a much stronger platform for long-term growth and development."
Whatever the government decides, most industry analysts agree that the program will probably help combat software piracy, which is widespread in Brazil".
"Walter Bender, the executive director of the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, whose opinion was solicited by the Brazilian government, replied in a recent letter that "high-quality free software" has proved more effective in stimulating computer use among the poor than scaled-down versions of proprietary software.
Though he said he did not oppose giving consumers a choice, he concluded that "free software provides a basis for more widespread access, more powerful uses and a much stronger platform for long-term growth and development."
Whatever the government decides, most industry analysts agree that the program will probably help combat software piracy, which is widespread in Brazil".
