I’ve been a devoted user of the very famous open source 3d application which is Blender. I’ve been showcasing this product since last year when I just finished my self-proclaimed project. Since that day, I’ve been a member of DabaweGNU and started showcasing this app.
I’ve been telling it to all people, to my friends, school, and some major IT events here in Davao City, Philippines. It’s been fun being a person showcasing this kind of application. But also there’s a dismay on my part, as I felt I’m not successful enough because as of now, I haven’t seen students embracing Blender. Some of them still looks up on commercial 3d applications like 3ds Max, Maya and Cinema4d. I can’t blame them, as this is what they’ve been seeing in the media.
Multimedia in Open source is not widely adopted here in Philippines, well this is in my own observation. Digital artists use commercial tools like the products from Adobe which is Photoshop and Illustrator. Corel is also promoted by some Design Studio located here. But speaking back to open source, there’s no acknowledgment happening on it. People here are just so ignorant while other countries are already shifting because of its so called “NO COST or FREE”. Reasons to this problem are enormous, no one can’t count them. Due to my boredom, I just listed some of mine.
1. Lack of awareness
When people say that GIMP is so hard to use and the Blender interface is not friendly. It is not about these applications. It’s about the awareness that those people doesn’t have. If those people used GIMP as their first image editor rather than Photoshop, then they would not complain about GIMP itself. Instead they will be amazed by Photoshop and help more the GIMP community on improving it.
2. Lack of government will
The Philippine government doesn’t care about Open Source for now. Even though they must implement this to schools.
I don’t want to talk more about the Government as they’re busy enough on stabilizing our economy.
3. Schools or Universities doesn’t care
Almost all university (including mine) doesn’t support open source. Ohhh really? Yah I can say it because there’s been no will on adapting the use of Linux based operating systems. Or just promoting the use of FOSS applications. Even though Ubuntu is quite popular with it’s easy to install and use. These schools doesn’t have the will to try or even install it as dual boot on their machines. The idea of costs is also blind to them. Lucky enough some students are more open minded to try some Linux distros for fun. Sadly these students are just the same number as my fingers.
It’s already expected that students in these universities doesn’t have any point on Open Source when they graduate. There was a time when someone talked to me that he was shocked when his trainer only allowed him to use Paint.Net. I was also shocked on what he just said. In my mind, I never expected that these free applications are the one who is rarely used by most people, heck.
And to summarize
If the lack of awareness will continue to reign. We Filipino’s will continue to be born pirates. Even now, when I’m talking Blender/GIMP/Inkscape to arrogant pirates, it’s the same as talking to trash cans. So what if we’ll be all trash cans?
*Update
When making this post until it is published, I’ve been doing a lot of revisions in it. I’ve finalized this enough, and adding “some” to the title is my last revision (thanks to Leigh for pointing that out).
Every blog is written by the author’s own opinions. As for this post, this is just the cause of emerging stuffs going around my location. So what’s to worry about, right?.. ^_^
Comments 21
Nice post. But I’ll ask you a question.
Which do you prefer to use? A nokia cellphone or an ericsson one? *with ALMOST have the same features*
and last thing.. Why use Linux when I am satisfied with my OS anymore? and why learn GIMP or other 2D graphic softwares where I can do it using the softwares that I have in my entire life?
Well, the bottom line: what matters most is your skills not the tool… and piracy? it won’t vanish even after you get old and die….
:]
Posted 10 May 2008 at 7:11 pm ¶Hi Leigh. thanks for dropping by..
Why use Linux when I am satisfied with my OS anymore? and why learn GIMP or other 2D graphic softwares where I can do it using the softwares that I have in my entire life?
I’m not talking about any migration of this to that. I’m talking about awareness that FOSS applications is just here. You can try it or leave it, that simple.
piracy?
Posted 10 May 2008 at 8:21 pm ¶Of course piracy is just there. No one can avoid it. But it’s good to know something about Free Alternatives. Who doesn’t want free btw.
it is just that I am excluded in your title post considering I am a graphic designer
you may at least say “SOME filipino graphic desingers etc” coz ur title implies all Pinoy graphic Designers…
Btw, nice template
Posted 10 May 2008 at 10:40 pm ¶ahh okie. thanks for the advice..
but i think the title is good enough as it speaks the generality of pinoy gfx designers.
^_^
Posted 10 May 2008 at 10:54 pm ¶I do have a lot of Ubuntu CDs at home. I’ve long longed of using it; but I do have problem using it with our dialup modem, same thing with our neighbor’s WPA-PSK TKIP wireless connection.
I’m willing to make the move but hardware incompatibilities forbid me to do so.
Posted 11 May 2008 at 3:08 am ¶Hardware compatibilty problems is one the problem I had before with my video card. But I just asked the ubuntuforums.org. Everything is workable when using Linux distro. Just takes some time to figure some things out.
Just to add. You can try out the latest ubuntu as livecd, maybe it has the wireless needed by you neighbor.
Posted 11 May 2008 at 11:40 pm ¶Yeah bro, there are many things to say about school.
It’s bad to steal right?!? That same thing with Piracy.
These schools know that students cannot afford those overpriced softwares and most of them resort to piracy. That should’ve been an eye opener for the school. Well, school nowadays are commercialized and they don’t care no more about high moral standards. Hmmm…. and we question why we have so many corrupt politicians…?
Person’s who use pirated products are themselves a mirror of our corrupt society. Schools must give top priority of solving such behaviour because, children spent, most of their time in school.
Schools with Pirated Software are by themselves a den of thieves. And, these schools advertise they give good education… what kind?
Bimbo
Posted 12 May 2008 at 4:28 pm ¶° I’m for Nokia. http://opensource.nokia.com/.
° If only the academe included F/OSS (and teach the Philosophies behind it) to their curriculum, maybe a lot of computer users (students, programmers, designers, etc.) right now, if not all, are satisfied with F/OSS and will still be using it for their entire life.
° I do agree. Regardless of the tool/application to use, skills does matter. This is where the competitive advantage of F/OSS lies. You can freely deliver all throughout your skills without having to worry about licenses and expensive fees on softwares. No need to pirate.
Posted 12 May 2008 at 4:36 pm ¶Actually, it’s not only the graphic designers that don’t know much about FOSS. Most people here really are not aware of these. Although I am a FOSS advocate, we cannot really blame them. One reason is that the FOSS community lacks better-than-commercial-software marketing strategies. The Philippines has been dominated by commercial softwares because it has been penetrated by their creator’s marketing efforts.
When we try to compare operating systems for example, Microsoft’s Windows has penetrated the Philippine market because they were aggressive enough to introduce their product here (and take note, a Windows OS has simply-defined editions). Unlike Linux, it has too many flavors: Red Hat, Fedora, Debian, Ubuntu, etc. Even Ubuntu has many editions: Feisty Fawn, Gutsy Gibbon, etc.
The thing here is that, the FOSS community should stop being geeks and start thinking outside of the geekbox.
Cheers!
Posted 12 May 2008 at 5:35 pm ¶Hello rix,
Ubuntu has done a great deal to make GNU/Linux easier for mortals like me. Any system requires technical know-how and Windows is not an exception. I happen to use both OSes and even for a mac — gave me a bit of hard time (i’m not used to it yet).
The different GNU/Linux distributions have different scope of use. Also, Fiesty, Gutsy, Hardy are all different versions of Ubuntu — much like, Win98, WinXP, WinVista — but mind you, there have been people confused with the differing versions of WinVista pro, home, basic. The bottomline you ask someone who knows. You don’t just go to GNU/Linux and expect to understand everything — you have to hang out with cool people, like the author of the blog.
Hehe.
Posted 12 May 2008 at 8:48 pm ¶Perhaps you should start or get more involved in a local Linux User Group. While some of a technical edge others have an advocacy edge. Maybe the group can begin marketing it to individuals and schools. It has taken a few years, but our local LUG has grown exponentially since we founded it and began advocating to individuals in our communities.
Posted 12 May 2008 at 10:18 pm ¶Rixx has a point. Microsoft is way too aggressive getting the market share in the computing industry. MS is always doing everything to give exciting innovations, while the open source community is doing everything on sharing innovation to everyone.
Yeah! Linux distros always confuse many. But it’s all about choice. Choice means power. To choose from so many distro means confusing but it opens up to a lot of choices. Like using Gnome (simple UI), KDE (flexible UI), XFCE (fast UI), FLUX (super fast UI) and many more. Cool ayt? ^_^
I don’t want this to be another-non-stop-war about “Microsoft vs OpenSource”. These two are just different business models that has it’s own pros and cons. Why war when there’s peace. ^_^
Posted 12 May 2008 at 10:22 pm ¶c0z company intend to use commercial products that are supported also by a company. They have reputation as a software company. thats why other companies like truly supported products. If something wrong with the software blame it to the software company thats how it is. you can’t blame open source. they are just enhancing the end product one by another..
Posted 12 May 2008 at 10:59 pm ¶@spike
yap your truly right. It’s about the FULL Support.
I’ve talked to some about the licensed version of apps. It was the only time that this info got in my head.
Buying a license version is really pricey but this is because of the support you can get. If a user had a problem in his/her application then he can just call the company for help (I think that’s 3-10 times of call, not sure), then the company will just provide steps, patch, etc, etc until it will be fixed. So it’s really worth it having a license version, SUPPORT is the key there.
This is also why. Open Source projects sell their support. Just like MySQL, they’re using the dual license of GPLv3. One is for the OS community and another is the Commercial which has the what-we-call SUPPORT.
Just what I’ve said in my past comment above. They’re just different business models.
Posted 12 May 2008 at 11:59 pm ¶Ana jud na bords. Gi mingaw na gani ko sa GIMP. Ginagamit nako na tong naga-Ubuntu pako.. PS PS nalang ko karon pero nabasan nako imong post. Igo sad ko dah.
Bitaw bai. Tama jud na. Wala’y pake ang uban sa OSS (Open Source Souftware) na ang OSS itself is free. Di na kelangan ug crack or keygen.
Nabuhayan ko dah. Studyhan sa nako ang GIMP. Basi ma support niya ang brushes sa PS.
Lamat bai. May nalang nag-subscribe ko sa imong feed.
Posted 16 May 2008 at 9:15 pm ¶Aheheheh! you spike are so so so smart! :]
Want some yellowcab pizza?
Well, hmm all I can say.. OpenSource must be more aggressive enough to penetrate what is “standard”.
When you guys work soon, you’ll find little OpenSource apps around the company and every job offer?? you also find so much little about knowledge in OpenSource products as a requirement.
Microsoft (and APPLE too) is HUGE! and OpenSource can hardly beat them.
and Piracy? Let’s be open-minded, we are born to tempt.
According to Linus T.:
“software is like sex. It’s gets better when it’s free” and it goes the same notion in piracy too.
Government? hehehehe take note who are software crackers? Can you spot a cracker in the philippines?
Who created the utorrent? Limewire? and etc. These are what we call ‘other’ temptations too.
“So what’s to worry about, right?.. ^_^”
Ack! We don’t worry Marlo. We worry how to use the app not how popular the app is. *winks*
and lastly, Server Setups? Linux got it. :]
*goes to mop again*
Posted 19 May 2008 at 1:34 pm ¶Hello Marlo:
i did a search on Filipino graphic designer and found this blog.
this is an invite to join the logo design contest for http://www.pinay.com. deadline is October 5. prize is P15000. go to http://www.pinay.com/logocontest.html for details.
also looking for portfolios of freelance web designers who can design for women audience.
please email me with web designer in subject heading. thanks!
Posted 16 Sep 2008 at 9:47 am ¶Schools or Universities doesn’t care.
Not really. I’m glad that UP (in Diliman, at least — di ko alam sa iba) has adopted Ubuntu in its computer laboratories.
Pagpasok ko ng UP, nilapitan ako ng ilang miyembro ng University of the Philippines Linux Users’ Group (UnPLUG). Hindi ko na gaanong pinag-isipan pagkat matagal-tagal ko na rin pinagisipan ang pagswitch to FOSS (nagpopromote rin kami ng FOSS). Masaya kasi tumutulong org namin to high schools. The org has helped highschools maintain their Linux workstations. Tinuturuan rin teachers nila on how to use it.
I hope people would be more aware of FOSS these coming years. Good start ang academe — kahit sa IT students lang muna then University-wide.
Posted 22 Dec 2008 at 3:50 am ¶The tools (either free or not) aren’t important, what matters are the ideas and creativity that are made using these softwares.
And about piracy… as I may qoute someone “Good artists copy, great artists steal. “
Posted 03 Feb 2009 at 10:52 am ¶This is a good eye-opener indeed. As an explorative and intuitive hobby artist I once researched on alternatives to Photoshop, 3Ds Max, etc., that’s why I had some idea on the softwares you mentioned. Indeed, we have become accustomed to commercial software that we think it’s “better”, but if it were the other way around, we’d be sticking to FOSS.
I do hope people open up to the possibilities of FOSS. With our economy status right now, I believe anything free would seriously be of help.
Posted 12 May 2009 at 12:20 am ¶Blender’s the thing.
As an amateur overclocker, I myself use tons of freewares and OSS’s available in the net.
Naniniwala akong advantage na alam mo ang mga bagay-bagay sa dalawang mundo ng mga available na software (may bayad at walang bayad)…
Though, mahilig ako sa cracks ng commercial software, hindi ko binabalewala ang mga libre, kasi some time in the future, magpoprogram din ako ng ganun, at gagamitin ko sa mga graphic works ko. XD
Posted 16 Jun 2009 at 8:15 pm ¶Trackbacks & Pingbacks 1
[...] about licensing issues. They thought Serial/Crack are always part of the installation. What an awareness [...]
Post a Comment