About

Welcome to WIKI FOSS Cell NITC

This is a wiki based website for the Free and Open Source Software Community at NITC.

What is FOSS?

Free software is a matter of the users' freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software. More precisely, it refers to four kinds of freedom, for the users of the software:

The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).
The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs (freedom 1). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor (freedom 2).
The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits (freedom 3). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.

For more information, please visit http://gnu.org

Vision

Free and Open Source Software is much more than a superior technology. It is a philosophy which lays emphasis on the rights of a user to copy, study, modify and redistribute code. It is based on the belief that Knowledge is a common heritage of mankind, and thus software, a form of knowledge, has to be free and accessible to all. Our vision is a society where the sharing of Knowledge is the norm, rather than the exception.

Action Plan

Popularize the use and spread awareness, in the campus, about the advantages of using Free Software, through demonstrations, installation fests etc.
Provide support to nearby schools for the IT@School programme.
Encourage students to get involved in Free Software development- both community Free Software projects and events like the Google Summer of Code.
Discuss how and why FOSS can be used effectively in the curriculum, probably replacing proprietary tools.
Initiative to develop FOSS tools in areas where they are lacking. Probably these can be taken up by students as part of their project work.
Join with the NITC chapters of IEEE, CSI etc. to conduct events like FOSSMeet@NITC.