I have come across Sayamindu’s blog posting and was amused, pained and surprised in the same breath.

Let us be objective first.

1. The release was on the 8th of September and it was planned to make the source code available upstream, within a few days as is expected of open-source activities. Please keep your weather eyes open on the SNLTR site. So, Sankarshan, you need not feel that the effort will go waste.

2. Mr. Toshi Kubota (mail cc’d to him) is a pioneer in Open-Source and Linux related movements in Japan. We will ensure that all gpl requirements are adhered to in accordance with his guidance. Please note that the inauguration was only day before yesterday !!!!

3. I wonder whether in the existing versions we could write words like র‌্যাপার, আর্য, and a few more could be written properly.

4. I am not sure whether in the existing versions of Open-Office spreadsheet, computations could be carried out in Bangla.

5. I know ( because Indranil Dasgupta himself told me on the first day we were discussing and demonstrating a prelim version of Baishakhi Linux) that the existing Linux versions, printout of complex Bengali scripts through Firefox was not possible – thanks to Indranil – this problem is not there in Baishakhi Linux.

6. The contributions may be incremental, (as suggested by Sayamindu – a one line code), but that is there now. Baishakhi Linux need not make tall claims, it was a very low budget effort and the spirit should be to contribute more by pointing out bugs and improving on it.

7. We ensure that no credit titles will be demeaned. Last-Translator does not demean others I think and that is the convention. Still to err is human. So please play straight – point out any omissions in a constructive way.

I am amused because how fast we can react with blogs etc. , when they could have written to us directly.
I am pained because my invitations to some of the Open-Source groups to join hands in these activities was met with absolute silence.
I am surprised because I thought Open-Source activities call for Open-Minds, joining hands in an endeavor. I thought the philosophy was
“Let a hundred flowers blossom. Let a thousand thoughts contend”. As always, being in academics I was wrong. We are too fast in circulating over blogs without discussing when the avenues exist.

Best of regards,

Anupam Basu

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অনুপম বসু

I didn’t know you provided Bengali “Fronts”[1].
And the flash design is too nice.

[1]http://60.32.71.29/baishakhilinux/index.php?option=com_contact&Itemid=3