[linuxiran] Fwd: Reports from Brazilian Open Software Conference 2003

[Aryan Ameri]

Hi there:

Just saw this post in kde-dev mailing list, and thought it would be an 
interesting read for the linuxiran and kde-i18n-fa community. To make 
those who are not familiar with persons mentioned in this letter, let 
me brief you that this message is written by Helio Chissini de Castro  
who is a KDE developer and a Connectiva employee. Miguel De Icaza, 
(mentioned in this letter as God) is the founder of Gnome project, 
founder of Ximian Co, and founder and leader of Mono project (an open 
source implementation of Microsoft .NET).

FYI

Peace 

----------  Forwarded Message  ----------

Subject: Reports from Brazilian Open Software Conference 2003 (long)
Date: Sunday 08 June 2003 03:22
From: Helio Chissini de Castro <address@hidden>
To: address@hidden
Cc: address@hidden

Hello all..

I'm just back from my journey ( closed airports, delay, no lunch, etc..
 ) to Open Software Conference at Rio Grande do Sul, where i did a
 speach about Corporate Desktop and KDE approach.

First, a little excerpt from what this conference represents to Brazil
 itself. This conference become the major computer conference in
 Brazil, since the down of Comdex Brazil and Fenasoft, and in last two
 years they earn a strong political side, since Brazilian government is
 strong turned to Open software. It happen's every year in the same
 place, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, where is a strong GNU/Linux
 nest, and barelly all Gnome centric. To finish excerpt, just mention
 that the guy who leads Rio Grande government software project, Marcelo
 Branco, is now invited to assume all Brazilian government software
 project, antd he is a "just Gnome" guy indeed.

So, aifter 4 hours delay in my flight, a arrived at Porto Alegre and
 barely have time to eat something and goes to conference. Today, the
 last day, is considered the "Gnome Day", since Mr. Icaza was going to
 do two speachs in the main room ( 600 places ), and the first one was
 happen just an hour before i arrived. To mention, no seats are empty.
 A comment: Icaza is kind of a mytical God there. Is really a star to
 this people.
When i got my id's, i just go to V.I.P. room, closed to speach guys.
 After i just turn on my notebook, and start read mail., Mr. Icaza
 comes to my surprise and seat aside me to do the same. I tried, i
 really tried change some words with him, but you know how must be hard
 speak to a God must be, hardly when the guy REALLY act as one.. For a
 few moments i'm feeling a bit unpleased with everything, despite the
 good treatment gave me by the staff. After harsh talk with Miguel (
 KDE is not interesting, Gnome will be won in the next version, Mono i
 seven times better than pnet, yada, yada, yada ), was the time to
 front the real treat, Mr. Marcelo Branco ( from government ). I barely
 talk with him, but after some talk, i figure out that to put our
 beloved KDE in, we will need do things from a different way..
That's what i start to did in that moment..
I was prepared a small old notebook P2-300 Mhz, 64Mb , with new
 Conectiva Linux, to prove to everyone that's be  possible run our
 distro, and most of all, KDE in a simple machine.
And to show new features, package fom CVS HEAD 4/06/2003, including
 Gideon and Quanta.
So, when i arrive at my speach room, how surprise i'm am about having
 almost all seats ( 100 ) full, and after i start, just a few leave
 during the speach. So, hard responsibility, things must work and i had
 to be delicately about talk with many Gnome Hun Hords in the room too,
 showing just KDE itself, and avoiding any comparison. Thanks God,
 evrything goes allright, and no Krash appears during the 1 hour
 speach, despite some slowness due a little mem, and surprisely, i got
 some of crowd to participate from the speach. But, what i really
 mention above about which steps we ( at Brazil ) will need do to put
 KDE in our gov. i did in the early beginning and the end of my speach.
In the beginning, when i'm introducing myself, i spoke about the three
 only Brazilian KDE developers ( me, Roberto and Thiago ), and mention
 that we have a lot of difficult to reach developers here to help. I
 really touched some guys in this moment, but the "piece of resistance"
 comes in the end Questions time.
A corporate guy that watching my speach ask me this question:
- "In this conference government stated that 2004 will be the Open
 Software year to Brazil. I want to know if KDE will be there at this
 time.." - This is the clue that i was waiting. My response was
 directly. We want, we really need, but now, we are three and some
 translators. We will do all efforts to walk with this moment, but if
 we didn't have more local help, will be dificult...
After, many people come to me to ask some more directly question about
 speach talks, but i really earn the day when i walked on the
 conference showrooms, and listening a lot of people talking well about
 my speach, and more, i believe that i earn one or two newest possible
 developers.. My first move will be completly done when the hears of
 KDE speach reach in the Gov. guys ears.. And more, i reach this
 without using any usual Win/Gnome attacks that some guys usually use.
Just to mention, at the end of my speach, this guys ( Gov. guys ) are
 at main room conference again with Miguel de Icaza in a really boring
 Mono speach, for about 500 people :-P

I really don't know if i'm a little emotive now, but in the plane
 backing home i really felt that had a great day to both Conectiva and
 KDE project.. More days like this must come :-)

--
Helio Castro
KDE Developer
Development Conectiva S.A.


-- 
/*  There's some good left in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it's worth 
fighting for."
                 - Sam Gamgee*/
Aryan Ameri