Saturday, August 4, 2007

Conflict of software ideologies in "Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows"

I am gonna begin my blog today.I am not sure of how often I can do blogging-because my net usage is not so affordable with cost.At the same time,as a B.Tech student of Computer Science at Govt. Engineering College (GEC) ,Thrissur,I think its too late for me to start one.
Well, to begin with, I need an excellent topic-it should be related to both technical aspect as well as my interests.Thinking of such a topic suddenly brought into my mind of a book that I read most anxiously just a few days ago.It was none other than "Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows".You may be wondering what it has to do with technical topic-especially computer science.Actually speaking,this relation may seem a distant one;but all the same,I found it by a little deep thought.
Coming to the topic,there is a concept introduced by J.K. Rowling in relation with "goblin-made weapons & articles".
{For the information of newbies to Harry Potter:
Goblins are a particular magical creatures which has social-life and can speak like humans.They are masters in tool making which can never be destroyed.}

According to Rowling,these arrogant creatures,goblins, have a little misunderstanding between human-wizards.In their custom,a goblin-made article ultimately belongs to the maker.If a wizard comes and buys a goblin-made article by paying them,he can use it for his lifetime. But after his death it has to be returned to the goblins itself.
But according to wizarding customs,once bought articles always remains to themselves.They will pass on to next generation then to next & so on.
Due to the superior power of human-wizards,they impose their custom over goblins.They accept it unwillingly.

Have you found any connection of this concept with the present condition in Information Technology?

I think now it will come to your mind about the current major division of computing world into Free Software like Linux using groups and patent owning Operating Systems like Windows using groups.
Goblin character resembles much more wider concept of Windows developers which demands buying seperate copies of same OS for the usage of each different computing systems(no matter they are owned by same person).
At the same time,wizard's concept is the restricted version of Free Software theory,which not only supports usage by single user in different systems,but also provides source code which can be shared to others with or without modification.


May be the recent information about these divisions got into my mind from our seniors and also from Pramod sir may have influenced my mind in generating such a criticism.
At the same time,as many of the readers ,I too have used Windows from my childhood and needs a great amount of persuading facts to change my mind completely over to Free Software.May be,as Pramod sir says after discovering other aspects of this like social,econmical etc my mind would switch over to Free Software entirely.At present ,as long as we can use "pirated" versions of Windows,my mind favours Windows.Also if we develop a software personally,we all think we should have enough return for that-the higher the monetary benefit the better-though I dont need it beyond a limit and become another Bill Gates.


Well,coming to personel matters,I think I got a good starting time of my blog-Eve of Friendship Day-especially for a person like me who fantasies a best and true friend,with whom you can share anything & everything,which is an achievement of a whole life time.Let me wish all my readers a Happy Freindship Day

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

hello...i was just breezing through the various blogs in tcr and happened to c ur blog.urs is certainly a different blog concept.But i would like to bring to your notice that your name "deductions of me" is wrong [er grammatically that is].I think what you meant was "My deductions"....ok tats it.. =]

Tony Thomas said...

hi no time 2 give u an ans 4 ur article. c u