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Becoming an Open Source Lobbyist?

Posted by Cliff on from the better-software-for-local-government dept.

Random Guru 42 asks: "With the recent MFP scandal in Toronto, with we taxpayers having to take the brunt of the cost of licensing and leasing software the city doesn't need, I'm wondering what it would take to lobby the city to start switching over to open source software. Has anyone ever tried to lobby your local council to make the jump away from expensive, closed software?"

1 of 30 comments (clear)

  1. Information is the key by schnits0r · · Score: 2, Informative

    Information is the key. Get your friends to write letters to officials. Talk to politicians. From my experience many many politicians are intersted in ways to reduce the cost of operation (Lorne Calvert, Jack Layton, so forth).


    If you get involved, and convince them to go opensource, you might find yourself with a job working for them as a techie/trainer assuming you have the qualifications. When I convinced the CIC (a section of the reserves) to use open source software for the public terminals, they were all over that and I ended up spending a summer in Penhold Alberta being tech support for 65$ a day.

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