Last Updated on by Sumi
Mr. Sandip Basnet is a Partnership Manager and Event Co-ordinator for Software Freedom Day 2020. He is a computer science student at ASCOL. He is an open source lover and a software developer. Mr. Sandip Basnet likes to spends his days developing, implementing and testing various service oriented solutions enjoying the nobility of cold brew coffee. He likes to spend his weekends attending and/or volunteering or organizing tech events/workshops/conferences and also hikes frequently where he feels most alive.
We did an Interview with Mr. Sandip Basnet to provide us some insights on the Software Freedom Day 2020 happening on 19th September 2020 from 10 AM to 8:30 PM. Let’s hear more from the Partnership Manager and Event Co-ordinator for Software Freedom Day 2020, Sandip Basnet.
Interview with Sandip Basnet
1. Can you give some insights of Software Freedom Day? Why is this celebrated?
Yah Sure, Software Freedom Day (SFD) is an annual worldwide celebration of Free Software.
SFD is a public effort with the aim of increasing awareness of Free Software and its virtues and encouraging its use.
2. What is software freedom / FOSS? Why is it necessary?
FOSS is that respect our Freedom lets us use even its source codes. There are lots of reasons why is it necessary to use FOSS like it foster innovation and creativity, promotes affordable computing , as it is critical in the country like ours, support from community and passionate peoples, promotes honesty & ethicality on the use of software reducing piracy, and as always freedom matters in the use of computer and software as well which is provided by FOSS and FOSS communities.
3. Tell something about the organizer, OSAC.
This year OSAC and ASCOL IT club are co-organizer . As OSAC has been constantly involved in exploring and promotion of Open Source and Free software in Nepal talking more specifically in Kathmandu.
We are constantly trying to establish Open Source Culture among Students focusing on the use of Open Source Software.
As well as sharing our knowledge organizing events and workshops regularly on the theme of “Let’s learn together and share with others”.
4. What is the history of Software Freedom Day and OSAC?
Since the establishment of OSAC we have organized SFD directly or indirectly in 2012,2013,2014 and 2015 we used to have ASCOL expo along with project exhibitions in 2016 we have CSIT expo on the occasion of ASCOL day and Software Freedom Day together. SFD 2018 was grand and one of the largest SFD that OSAC has ever organized. We hadn’t organized SFD in 2017 and 2019 because of some college and academics issues. You can get more info about SFD and other events we have organized via our blog (http://osacascol.blogspot.com/)
5. What is going to happen this year in Software Freedom Day 2020?
This year we will have multiple Speaker’s sessions, One Panel Discussion, 2 workshops, Some Project Showcase along with Poetry in between.
6. What are the new things that one can get in this year’s Software Freedom Day?
So, this year we are trying to connect participants from multiple areas like Health, Education, Industry(IT), and designed our talks accordingly and outreached to some open source project developers for showcase.
To make the celebration as a celebration we have some poetry sessions as well which I believe adds new flavor in events like SFD. Also, we are organizing this year’s SFD virtually and this is new as well.
7. Apart from OSAC, who else is celebrating Software Freedom Day 2020 here in Nepal? What is happening globally?
Apart from OSAC, I haven’t seen seen any other organization celebrating SFD this year. Previously, organization and college clubs like NOSK, KOSC, KUOSC including FOSS Nepal, FOSS Chitwan seems to have organized some sorts of gathering and celebrations.
8. How difficult is it for the community of government colleges to organize events like these?
Talking about our community, event organizing, and our College, it’s really challenging as well as it’s an opportunity for us to coordinate and run the event smoothly. As government colleges don’t provide funds unless clear reasons and enough time & effort are spent on it and hard to find sponsors because of the lengthy administrative process. But what’s interesting is we have active and energetic volunteers willing to make everything success and almost all programs we conduct are volunteer-based, because of which communities are still surviving.
9. Why should people join Software Freedom Day 2020?
Adorable question, as Software Freedom Day 2020(ASCOL) has focused on the theme “Use of Open Source Tools and It’s Impacts in Pandemic” here we will be exploring & discussing some of the Open Source Tools that are useful and impactful in daily lives like digital health and telemedicine, education and multimedia and maybe we will find a suitable tool for our project in Zero Cost. Also, there are Open Source Project Showcases which may be helpful for us.
10. Your few last words from the organizer side.
Thanks for reaching out to us and covering our event. We organizers and volunteers have given our full effort to make SFD 2020 grand. Lets’ join and celebrate Software Freedom Day 2020 together.
ICTByte would like to thank Mr. Sandip Basnet for providing this information on Software Freedom Day 2020 and would like to wish a great success for the event.
More details about the Software Freedom Day 2020 event here
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