Massachusetts Builds Open-Source Public Repository

An anonymous reader writes "Massachusetts on Wednesday took the wraps off a new software repository designed to let government agencies make more efficient use of open-source software. The repository will be managed by the Government Open Code Collaborative, a newly formed group of seven states and four municipalities that will contribute and download open-source software and proprietary software designed by government agencies for their use."

Comments

Not open source

[Anonymous Coward]

Government agencies looking to use the repository must sign a contract with the collaborative. This grants an agency a license to any open-source and proprietary software it finds in the repository and prohibits that software from being used to make a profit. This is a crucial component, since Massachusetts law prohibits commercial entities from making money off products developed by the commonwealth using taxpayer money.

The key words in the above are "prohibits that software from being used to make a profit". This means that any software they develop will either have to be done from scratch or from a very permissive license such as BSD, which allows the modification of the license of the code.

Furthermore, this license does not fall under The Open Source Definition or The Free Software Definition for this same reason.

Re:Nice Zealotry

[homebrewmike]

Well, as I see it, the government is directly involved with developing software. Well, since we are the government WE are paying for the development of software, and yet WE don't get access ot that source

Here's an example. The state of MN just wrote some software to help track the amount of salt that it uses during the winter time, allowing them to better track and order salt in a timely manner.

Who paid for that? Well, me, and a bunch of other Minnesotans. Well, don't cha think that Wisconsin, our happy go-lucky-badger-fearing state would LOVE to have the code? Sure WI could buy that package from MN, but I'll bet that Wisconsin will just go ahead, and reinvent that wheel. Government works like a business (but with a bit more transparancy) and most businesses are heavily involed with the NOT INVENTED HERE SYNDROME.

So WI and MN tax payers are paying twice what they need to. So, why not share the code? Chances are that WI will have projects that MN would want. Is it going to cut jobs? Probably not - it's just going to make things more efficent. Developers will still need to adapt the packages to the current environment.

We're paying to have this software developed - we might as well get a copy of it!

Re:Open Source and Goverment?

[ThogScully]

It sounds like you're joking, but just in case...

If you're worried about the government infecting open source projects with hidden code or something, then don't. It's open - that's the point. At the very worst, it would be on par with the proprietary software in use now. Hidden code would be seen.

Are you concerned that the government will screw up open source with bad management? So don't use software that is run by bad managers - simple solution. It's not like you don't have choices. If someone doesn't like the direction a government entity is taking a project, it will fork - not unlike the way things are now.

I just hope you don't get modded insightful as this sounds like one of those comments that gets insightful when it's anything but.
-N

Mostly good

[Mjlner]

Any government that invests money in any sort of software development should make sure that the money goes back to tax payers. Just as with anything else, the government (in theory, at least) invests money in stuff that is for the peoples benefit. Eg. defence fundings are spent in order to defend the people.

Free / Open source software is an effective way of making sure that the people benefits from the development. It's the ultimate public service. A penny spent on FOSS is a penny earned in future projects and software for the masses, while a penny spent on proprietary software is merely a penny spent.