Viktor Ivannikov: about the goals and organization of the RASPO
The state initiative in the field of open source software lacks a high-quality peer review. Players in the free software market unite into the Russian Free Software Association (RASPO) to jointly promote the ideas of social labor in the country. On the roots of the current situation and the goals of the association told Viktor Ivannikov, President of the Association.
Should the state be involved in the development of free software?
Viktor Ivannikov : I believe that the state should actively participate in the development of society, invest tax revenues in science, education, including the development of free software. This is a very nontrivial task, because any worthlessness can be declared free software, but it will not cease to be worthlessness. And in our country there is a wonderfully worked out mechanism for squandering budget money. Therefore, very serious work of experts is needed here in order to understand what goals the state is facing at the moment, to guess what goals the state will face tomorrow.
You see, you can not live only this day. For example, now you need to automate the ZhEKi and put free software there. But we have to think, and what will happen in 10 years. If it's just about using software, then this is one thing. If we have to train specialists who will support and develop such things, we should look 10 years ahead. Because 10 years is needed in order to prepare a team, a school, to prepare top-level specialists who will work with it. The role of the expert community in planning is extremely important. Moreover, it is desirable that it should not be attached to any particular ministry, but live according to the laws of free software. This should be a public organization. The philosophy of free software is based on the social product of social labor. And the expert community should be built on the same ideas. This is the meaning of the creation of the Russian Free Software Association. One of the main functions of the association is analytical work, assessment of the situation and preparation of proposals that now or in the future is a challenge that must be solved, with some weights, risks.
How can you evaluate the result of Russian government initiatives in the field of open source software?
Viktor Ivannikov : Any problem in this area is non-trivial, it must be thought through very carefully. A program should be carefully thought out, a business plan should be drawn up. In the meantime, it turns out a game of chess in a half-way, without analyzing the response action.
Since the 90s, individualism began to dominate in Russia: everyone for himself and everyone solves their problems. And the power is also a part of our society and everyone there sees that he will have from this, since our power is far from ideal. But if civil society develops, it will affect what our government represents.
RASPO and will be a small piece of civil society. She will do things that the same ministries do not do, prepare some programs, as we need to move on. Of course, the government may not pay attention to this work. But it is very difficult not to pay attention when not one person speaks, but the opinion of the community is expressed. Especially, if it gains at least a small amount of work, but weight.
Officials are focused on solving a known problem, so they do not need to carry out an in-depth analysis. Take such a thing as installing Linux in schools. Of course, the work done is not empty, but a lot of questions arise. Will it be used there? Who will accompany him, under what conditions? And all this should be preceded by an analysis: what do the schoolchildren use, what do they really need from the school computer? Then, the mass of computer courses for different disciplines prepared for Windows, what will happen to them? And will teachers cope with Linux? Are the advanced training institutes ready to teach teachers how to work in a new environment? And how can all this be developed without the active participation of teachers' colleges and universities? Because in reality the university is a cultural center, especially in the provinces. Students themselves need to use Linux. This cannot be done by force. By force we will retrain teachers, we will put Linux everywhere, and then what will happen? May he die there, just die.
Even such a trivial task, as the transfer of all schools to Linux, requires a complex weighted solution. We need all these components - universities, advanced training courses, the creation of local communities in the regions. It is sad when you need to call the call center in Moscow by phone, to ask something, and even in our conditions of communication. The teacher will trust a colleague, a teacher from another school, more than the methodologist of the District Public Service of Education, or, especially, the Varyag, who will be sent from Moscow. To prepare the transition to free software in schools, you need to take all this into account.
Read completely...
Should the state be involved in the development of free software?
Viktor Ivannikov : I believe that the state should actively participate in the development of society, invest tax revenues in science, education, including the development of free software. This is a very nontrivial task, because any worthlessness can be declared free software, but it will not cease to be worthlessness. And in our country there is a wonderfully worked out mechanism for squandering budget money. Therefore, very serious work of experts is needed here in order to understand what goals the state is facing at the moment, to guess what goals the state will face tomorrow.
You see, you can not live only this day. For example, now you need to automate the ZhEKi and put free software there. But we have to think, and what will happen in 10 years. If it's just about using software, then this is one thing. If we have to train specialists who will support and develop such things, we should look 10 years ahead. Because 10 years is needed in order to prepare a team, a school, to prepare top-level specialists who will work with it. The role of the expert community in planning is extremely important. Moreover, it is desirable that it should not be attached to any particular ministry, but live according to the laws of free software. This should be a public organization. The philosophy of free software is based on the social product of social labor. And the expert community should be built on the same ideas. This is the meaning of the creation of the Russian Free Software Association. One of the main functions of the association is analytical work, assessment of the situation and preparation of proposals that now or in the future is a challenge that must be solved, with some weights, risks.
How can you evaluate the result of Russian government initiatives in the field of open source software?
Viktor Ivannikov : Any problem in this area is non-trivial, it must be thought through very carefully. A program should be carefully thought out, a business plan should be drawn up. In the meantime, it turns out a game of chess in a half-way, without analyzing the response action.
Since the 90s, individualism began to dominate in Russia: everyone for himself and everyone solves their problems. And the power is also a part of our society and everyone there sees that he will have from this, since our power is far from ideal. But if civil society develops, it will affect what our government represents.
RASPO and will be a small piece of civil society. She will do things that the same ministries do not do, prepare some programs, as we need to move on. Of course, the government may not pay attention to this work. But it is very difficult not to pay attention when not one person speaks, but the opinion of the community is expressed. Especially, if it gains at least a small amount of work, but weight.
Officials are focused on solving a known problem, so they do not need to carry out an in-depth analysis. Take such a thing as installing Linux in schools. Of course, the work done is not empty, but a lot of questions arise. Will it be used there? Who will accompany him, under what conditions? And all this should be preceded by an analysis: what do the schoolchildren use, what do they really need from the school computer? Then, the mass of computer courses for different disciplines prepared for Windows, what will happen to them? And will teachers cope with Linux? Are the advanced training institutes ready to teach teachers how to work in a new environment? And how can all this be developed without the active participation of teachers' colleges and universities? Because in reality the university is a cultural center, especially in the provinces. Students themselves need to use Linux. This cannot be done by force. By force we will retrain teachers, we will put Linux everywhere, and then what will happen? May he die there, just die.
Even such a trivial task, as the transfer of all schools to Linux, requires a complex weighted solution. We need all these components - universities, advanced training courses, the creation of local communities in the regions. It is sad when you need to call the call center in Moscow by phone, to ask something, and even in our conditions of communication. The teacher will trust a colleague, a teacher from another school, more than the methodologist of the District Public Service of Education, or, especially, the Varyag, who will be sent from Moscow. To prepare the transition to free software in schools, you need to take all this into account.
Read completely...
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Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/61698/
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