[DS-discuss]conforming availability

[Mohanakrishnan]

Hello guys,

        Will be available for the meet if any on Saturday... but is
there any particular agenda... and Suraj, can I attend u'r weekend
classes at MIT... or is it only for the MIT-ians... 

        People at sankara are ready for the demo... only that the way
they want us to conduct it is a little amusing... they want something 
"continue-ish" to take place, not just a days show... they ask me if we
are interested in helping them out by having weekend classes for atleast
sometime... and ask if it would be possible for us to set up their
network for linux... what ya say people... 

        And one more thing that I would like to bring to the notice is
about Microsoft's latest plan to net colleges... take this one for a
sample... 
A group of MS's academic promotions dept people came to my college the
other day... they gave a package which can make anybody fall for it...
it goes like this...
1. the college has to enroll for a program called MS-campus program.
2. the college has to pay an annual subscription of Rs.40000... for
which the college gets the following
        * books from MS press(they have promised a lot!)
        * Licensed s/w from the MS stable for all the machines
        * all students can use the s/w provided to the lab at their
homes too,      so they get the latest.
        * updates come in the form of CDs every month...
        * SIGs(software interest groups) to be formed among students,
and     these students to be given special training, and they can take
part in         the MS campus challege.

        Dunno what else they have in store to stave off linux from
academia... my HOD, an ardent linuxophille seems to be bending the other
way... but most students want him to do so... 'cos they feel there is
money and more jobs on the other side... well any comments on this new
step... 

Regards,
Mohan
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