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Australian Tax Office Adopts Open Source Software
James Roberts writes "AustralianIT is reporting today that the Australian Tax Office, or ATO (Australian IRS equivalent) has ditched its standard Microsoft SOE and will now adopt the Linux operating system 'where appropriate.' It was reported late last year that the ATO was originally considering Longhorn as its preferred SOE. This is a big step for Australian Federal Government, who have been slow in the uptake of open source policies despite ongoing petitioning by several high profile pressure groups."
I don't think I'd be comfortable with my personal information in the hands of open source!
here, oddly enough, on budweiser's site: http://veepers02.budlight.com/service/RetrieveCard ?id=CC363960-667D-11D8-B62A-B3EE4054966E
Me email iz skyewalkerluke at microsoft's free email service.
fate. Let's not be Despite the itself backwards, OS. now BSDI is bben looking for! RAM) for about 20
You mean a Kangaroo Scrotum Pouch ?
http://jesus.everdense.com/
Actually I think Steve Irwin will be voted "Father of the Year" first.
One of these days I'm moving to Theory - everything works there
It is very unfortunate to see that some groups are pressuring the governments to employ open source through political and religious feelings rather than technical merits. This will hurt many programmers who are trying to make a living. I certainly do not support this view. I hope that governments are going to be pressured by software developers not to give into these pressures. Clearly some linux zealots in that government unit is behind this decision. I hope software developers become more aware of this threat and start to act.
The Australian budget is in surplus and national debt is not the problem you think it is. Stop being a victim to hype.
As you're a taxpayer, it's nice to see that you're so willing to pick up the tab for this false economy. Running Linux will not prove cheaper than Windows.
Lets take a look at how the OpenSource community has taken a media source which may or may not be reliable and taken it out of context. Let me quote a few key phases:
"concluded that the agency should evaluate and use open-source software where appropriate."
"key findings were that the ATO should develop an open-source policy"
At not point does it say that the ATO has decided to act upon this recommendation and at no point does it say that it will replace all the Microsoft products with Linux! The Australian Government has policies as to what products are certified for use within government departments and at the moment their aint too many, if any, open source products that are on that list.
I'm pleased as punch that ATO gave MS the boot,
but for this to be a succesfui transition, they
had better be able to find enough support folks
at the right time to do the job well...
This gov't isn't keen to lean Left (as OS -may-
be deemed), so... just maybe... the ATO switch
may be a "set-up" to give the gov't a chance to
stay with M$ across the rest of its IT landscape
No, I have no inside info here... just a bit of
suspicion...
I hope we show 'em that OSS really saves $'s,
so other gov't dep'ts will follow suit.
PS So, what do we attribute this "change of
thinking" to? That Australia spent -BIG-
eg, sending troops to Iraq...
It'd be an awful reason to go OSS, but -
given how the Australian gov't treats its
asylum seeker:
KIDS -STILL- LOCKED UP FOR 2 - 3 YEARS
IN DETENTION CENTRES, IN REMOTE-AREAS,
OUT-OF-SIGHT, OUT-OF-MIND. WE REMEMBER
In neighbouring New Zealand, asylum seek-
ers are free to work in the community -
saving that gov't heaps on building and
staffing all the detention centres both
on Australian soil & on the soil of poor
neighbouring islands, who've also agreed
to Australia building detention centres
there... providede that the Oz gov't ALSO
give them millions of Aussie $'s on top
of the costs of housing out asylum seekers.
Inhumane, expensive, unjust AND sloppy.