Japanese Govt Boosts OSS Developments

Final Samurai writes "Information-technology Promotion Agency(IPA, in pdf), an extra-departmental organization of Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan has been supported open source software development. Some efforts are now available: framework for printing, Samba internationalization, a tool for hacking Gtk+, ssh in Java, manuals for OpenOffice.org, and GRASS internationalization. Though IPA doesn't announce the support program strongly, we can find the name, `IPA' in each project page. Does your government have such a plan to fund OSS developments? How do you think about governments' funding OSS developments(by tax)? If you have a chance to be funded, what kind of software will you develop?"

Comments

Not too bad

[soniCron88]

"How do you think about governments' funding OSS developments(by tax)?"

It wouldn't be much different than the library system. Sharing knowledge for "free" is never a bad thing.

Re:Not too bad

[Uber Banker]

Maybe, maybe not.

If it costs $200 to buy a documented office suite, and 1mn people do it, the cost to the economy as a whole is $200mn. Now if it costs $10mn to document and support an open source alternative, the economy as a whole has saved $190mn which it could spend on other services.

You're right the people with a computer gain, but others can gain too. Now that $10mn raised through taxes has freed up $190mn for people to spend. Even if they save half their disposable income that's still $95mn 'new' disposable income in the country. This can go on to benefit those without computers.

Now this $95mn spending isn't 'new' as the old office suite that used to be bought because the company that made this suite employed people and gave shareholders (i.e. pension and saving plans) income, their income has been cut $190mn (see paradox of thrift). So in theory how useful is this, well jumping several steps from arithmetic to growth theory, efficient use of capital (buying something cheaper on a sustainable basis) frees up money for new spending/investment and should lead to economic growth (which means higher wages, standards of living, etc).

Economic growth hasn't been especially beneficial for the average worker over the past couple of decades, (using the US as an example as the numbers are easily available and well discussed) in 1980 corporate profits made up around 7% of GDP, in 2004 they were 14% - corporates grew the amount of 'profit' they made from the economy while households didn't make much progress, some sectors of society declined. So economic growth cannot be argued as a wholly good thing - it depends on who it accrues to and whether the observer perceives that as a 'good' thing.

Personally I welcome some funding of open source, it does cost some tax money, but it introduces a notion of competition to corporates which can well be seen as monopolistic in some/many industries - i.e. without governement support of competition things wouldn't progress. There are other ways for governments to encourage support too.

THere are other arguments regarding taxation and perception of volume of tax.

Yes it is all circular arguments: that is economics, if you ever think about what happens to a dollar it goes in a circle many many times. An yes IAAE (I Am An Economist).

Pandering to the Chinese?

[shanen]

Well, not sure how far they'll really go with it, but I feel like their motivations are suspect. The Japanese government has pretty much made peace with Microsoft. The only reason I can see for them supporting OSS is because the Chinese seem to be going away from MS, and Japan is thinking about who's going to be most important to Japan a few years down the road.

Think of it as another form of distributing their investments away from dollars...

Re:Pandering to the Chinese?

[RoLi]

Why is every positive Linux movement badmouthed?

It doesn't matter why they did it, also being at "peace" with Microsoft doesn't prevent you from supporting Linux. The important fact is that they did a big Linux commitment and that that commitment is helping all Linux users.

Repeat of the 1970's

[ites]

Remember Big Steel, Big Auto, Big Air... large monopolies subsidised by the State, inefficient providers of substandard goods... being eventually driven to the edge of extinction by cheap foreign competition, surviving only by embracing modern practice and competing equally?

Remember how world leaders turned to world losers in just 15 years, unable to change with the times?

We're rapidly entering the same phase with software. Big Software in the US (and to some extent in Europe) is largely dependent on its monopoly position, bolstered by State support, using the argument "we pay taxes and create jobs" (both false) as blackmail.

Meanwhile the rest of the world is rapidly evolving to use modern practice (which means open standards and open code) so that they can compete against the previously unassailable US Big Software giants.

It's going to happen exactly the same way. Trauma, crisis, mass layoffs, and finally, when it's almost too late, an understand that Big Software sees that it cannot fight the commoditization of its industry through marketing, politics, or blackmail.

Re:Repeat of the 1970's

[beacher]

I disagree wholeheartedly. The japanese kicked our ass in the auto industry in the 80's and 90's but detroit adapted and learned how to make a better product. More and more american cars are finding their way into consumer reports top 10's and that's something that benefitted the population at large.

Competition fosters a better quality product. If Japan wants to help make Linux a better product, then I'm all for it.

Adapt, evolve and pass the strong genes on ;)
B

Tax-Based Funding

[Evil W1zard]

If the government starts to really push OSS funding from taxes then I would want to see a big push for security-related products. Because broadband/always-on connections are growing there is a real need for free/open-source security solutions for home users who don't really know anything about security and might not be inclined to go out and spend the money on firewalls, anti-virus and etc (and a good advertising campaign for use of freeware security products since there are already many out there, but many people just have no idea they exist or where to find them.... And why we're at it they can also develop an freeware version of VMWare as well please!

Great idea

[Anonymous Coward]

"How do you think about governments' funding OSS developments(by tax)?"

Taxes are meant to fund means and services that are for public service and need, or rather, for different groups of people. This includes roads, traffic signs, also considering the handicapped.

Anything that services a society, technologically, economically, including educational institutions, healthcare, etc. justified governmental funding.

As such, tax funded OSS projects would be a good thing. Given that the solutions are beneficial for a large enough part of society. How that's weighed is a different issue, but just like which roads or traffic signs or schools need more or less funding.

OSS != Linux

[mamladm]

With all due respect, you are talking nonsense.

First, the IPA does not expressly support Linux. Its progam is to further the use of open source software in Japan. And in fact you will find that many government sponsored research projects in Japan are based on BSD and not Linux. A prominent example is the KAME project (IPsec and IPv6).

Second, Apple has embraced open source software and it is supporting and contributing to open source projects. Some of the work Apple is contributing directly supports otherwise Linux centric projects, for example KHTML.

Also, it should not be forgotten that Apple sponsored and contributed most of the work on MkLinux. In any event, the impression you try to create with your wording, that Apple is in one boat with Microsoft in resisting open source is nothing more than spin.