Jeremy Allison attended the Ontario Linux Fest recently and wrote about it in a ZDNet article. What follows are somewhat large quotations from his article (which you can click here to read in its entirety) with my own comments. I've written briefly before about Linux in emerging markets, and with my connection to Brazil this is something that is often on my mind. Jeremy's article deals with the topic as presented through two different speakers at the conference.
The first speaker, Ian Howard, spoke about opportunities for Linux in Africa. Specifically, he talked about GeekCorps work in Mali. Though described as upbeat and positive, as Jeremy listened he caught on to some obstacles Linux and other open source solutions face on that continent.
The first challenge is software piracy :
The outcome of this rampant illegal software copying is that Windows is seen as “the first world standard” and any attempt to push a cheaper alternative is strongly resisted. They consider it trying to cheat local people out of getting the same quality of software that is used in the developed world, even though it’s a legal way of getting quality software for free.
Now that's something I hadn't counted on, but it makes a lot of sense. There's a certain pride to be had in developing nations when someone possesses a piece of "First World" technology. Illegal copies of Windows are sure to be seen as more desirable than some unknown (there, at least) Linux distro.
Once when I lived in Brazil I received a check from a couple in Iowa that was very supportive of my mission work. It was a fairly substantial amount, and my wife and I agreed that a computer would be the best way to use it. I'm glad we did, as it opened communication back up for me with friends and family in the United States, among other benefits. One thing I noticed as I went around the different computer shops was that they all offered legal Windows software, but pretty much assumed no one wanted it. Instead they said you could have an unregistered copy pre-installed. The cost of the Windows software added quite a bit in Brazilian currency to the overall price of the computer, so there's really no incentive for a person to want the legal software. Why pay a fortune for something you can have for free?
The second difficulty Linux faces is the average end-user.
In a region with no software development experience, even Open Source software isn’t going to help bootstrap a computer support or software industry where there is nothing to start with. Even though you can see all of the source code inside a Linux distribution, without local expertise and knowledge to support and maintain it, it might as well be a closed source Windows installation. In fact, as knowledge of Windows is already widespread in such areas, even though it’s due to illicit software copying, Windows may be a better choice until you can break through the network effects keeping it dominant.
On the level of the ordinary end-user in developing countries I don't think we are going to see much demand or even need for Linux in the short term. They are unfamiliar with the product and not inclined to be interested in the advantages Linux offers. That brings me to Jeremy's next observation.
What shone though clearly in Ian’s talk was that unless you can partner with the local people, and most importantly help them make money with the new systems you’re trying to get them to use, then you’re just another well-meaning interloper, trying to sell them something that probably won’t work. Making money is the key. Without the opportunity of economic benefits, people in developing countries simply don’t have the time to learn about Free and Open Source software, no matter how much it seems to fit their needs from an external point of view.
Let's be honest. Africa in general is a poor, war-torn continent with a savage history of violence and deprivation. A lot of it was inflicted by outsiders, and much of it was also of internal origin. There are a few countries that are doing relatively well, but in general the continent has been struggling for centuries. People there don't have the luxury enjoyed by folks in the West to sit around and debate the various quality of various types of software and operating systems. People are hungry and hurting. People in Africa need real-life solutions to the problems they face, and just showing up with some CDs of an alien brand of software with little practical application won't work. Ian's work with GeekCorps, as described by Jeremy, apparently provided some of those practical solutions needed.
Genuinely helping people needs to be kept in focus, not an essentially ideological conviction that Linux or some other open source solution is best so it should just be adopted on that merit alone.
Having said all this, the real point comes down to something said by Jon “Maddog” Hall in his keynote talk at the Ontario Linux Fest. As Jeremy tells it:
Jon is a wonderfully entertaining speaker, and not afraid of controversy. Showing a picture of a child in the African bush holding a “One Laptop per Child” laptop he said, “I don’t care about this kid.” The audience drew a shocked breath. “He’s screwed,” continued Jon. “Five hundred miles of bush behind him, five hundred miles of bush in front of him. There’s nothing I can do to help here”. Jon flipped the slide to show a Brazilian “favela”, or slum city, with an incredibly dense population, seeming to cling to the side of a nearby hill. He said, “This is where I can help. These kids have electricity. They can get a network connection. I can do something with Open Source and Free Software here”.
Now, that boy in the African bush isn't really "screwed." He can have a very rich and fulfilling life with the help of God, family and community. I hope the church is active where he lives. People have done well in times and places without our current level of technology for ages. Still, although I could have wished that Maddog had expressed himself in slightly kinder tones, he got his point across. It doesn't make a lot of sense strategically to go into extremely isolated places where there is no connectivity and perhaps no reliable power supply and hand out Linux laptops.
Go to a slum in Brazil and you will find functioning electrical lines and oftentimes phone lines. Because they are in dense urban areas there are often WiFi connections available to connect through. In this environment, where technology is recognized and infrastructure is available, a difference can be made.
In my opinion, Linux doesn't have a chance of being the widely-accepted popular solution in developing economies like Brazil in the next decade or so. However, I still believe it should be introduced in Brazil and offered through schools and charitable organizations. Why? For the building of a stronger geek culture.
There are already geeks in Brazil, but their number is comparably small when put alongside other nations. Technology offers a better life to young people in Brazil, whether they live in slums or just the average lower-income neighborhood. With proper skills they can make a new way for themselves in the country or outside it, and within the country they can be part of a larger revolution that helps bring greater freedom and prosperity to the nation.
Windows is proprietary and closed. Linux is free and open source. With Windows a young person who might become a tech worker will hardly have any reason to deal with code. With Linux, the terminal comes built in and the international community of Linux users and programmers is available to help. Linux can help build a stronger geek culture in Brazil, Windows cannot.
See also:
When Linux fails (ZDNet)
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