Hi Aki, I find problem in reading emails in this digest, quotes look similar to original text. Yeah I have found this problem while in Kenya. Its very hard to find someone in Kenya especially in Nairobi who can recommend a customer to another person for free.I can imagine them hiding code.People dont know one thing, the code they are rushing to download was made by others` hard work. We should have a spirit of openness as others who has spent everything to bring opensource to us.There are lots of ways to benefit from recommending your fellow, if you dont have aproduct: - He might direct customers in later days. - He might offer commission per refferal. - Client might trust you and slowly turn you into a consultant. Many time when in Nairobi I bump with these kind of scenarios. You go to a shop where you shop regularly, and you ask for something, the guys finds that its not in stock, (Then he push to specs)he decides to opt what other Kenyans do, go to someone`s shop looking for the product, he goes all the way from shop to shop, store to store (time is passing-And everything else is paused), then he finds that he has few options as the product isnt available within his friends stores.Then a new problem arise,he cant get from another dealers without cash+ he cant buy as he isnt sure if the client will buy.He goes back to the client claiming the product isnt avilable in Nairobi (??????). Then it comes another scenario this time is Hi Tech gear.A customer is looking for a latest gadget for as cheap as possible. customer step in a shop, you buy one or two products, you request for another(this time a gadget with multiple versions), You ask for the latest. A shop keeper doesnt even know price ranges in town.He start with unclear words then he find a shield into specs( he doesnt get clues from the word "..the latest.." yet he want to make odeal out of it).Then a client ask if the shop keeper can help out so that this client can get into the store.Here the client want to see varieties, price so that he can make an optimum selection depending on the budget and demand.The shop keeper again because of his greed is in trouble again, he cant ask for a for disturbance fee, neither for a commission from the next shop owner for bringing business because he want a to up amount.And because he was caught by surprise, and the shop owner isnt within his circle of friends and product are price tagged.The guy decided not to be helpful at all.He looks like an idiot and misses evrything. I kindly request the guys in Nairobi unless you want to create an atmosphere where shoppers can find you to be reliable, an atmosphere where you can get clients directed by someone,an environment where someone appreciate refferals, talking about opensource is daydreaming. Regards, Nicholas Mmasi.* * *Kinpro Computers.* *Box:*16954,Arusha. *Tel :*+255 732 972287. *Mobile**:* +255 754 914652 *Email: *kinprocomputers@gmail.com Message: 3 Date: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:20:54 +0300 From: aki <aki275@gmail.com> To: Skunkworks Mailing List <skunkworks@lists.my.co.ke> Subject: Re: [Skunkworks] ........ local ICT software/hardware/specialist development...Sound critical.. Message-ID: <CAMicrgixTGj24BAz4=s2QEGMHaZf86_hM=AhoRDSuCSVG8Q2Wg@mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Hello @Nicholas from Arusha, :-) IMHO, I think a lot of the programmers in Kenya are involved in the similar things as what you do i.e. business software just that they don't like to talk about it or contribute to this list for fear of competition or other reasons which is understandable. This could one of the many reasons why programmers are looking at fast turn around times when it comes to free-code reuse thus the high popularity of free code. I believe for now it is important, as @Phares suggested, that the economies needs tech solutions at present and not in the future. Unfortunately, that is a truth to this given the difference of Apps development between us and others who do it out there, there is too big a gap to catch up soon. Some thots. Rgds. --