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.gov.au Guide to Open Source Software
kieronb writes "The Australian Government Information Management Office has recently released
"A Guide to Open Source Software for Australian Government Agencies". Surprisingly, it actually appears to have been written by someone with a clue, and provides quite a balanced overview of what F/OSS is and how it differs to proprietary software. Choice quotes: "Sourcing OSS solutions is a new and less understood area for Government Agencies. As a recult, it often seems to involve higher risk. As open source solutions become more mainstream and agencies gain expertise in evaluating and deploying them, this perception of risk should subside."; "Access to source code is, however, valuable to agencies by virtue of the economic flow-on effects that accrue when multiple vendors offer competing products based on the same technology. Access to source code also reduces the risk of vendor lock-in.""
Finally we don't look like a bunch of flaming drongos.
It is good to se that some governemts are actually begining to consider the potential benefits of using F/OSS software. I susspect that this is a trend that will increase dramatically over the next few years. As a few govnernments sets sucessful examples of F/OSS deplyment others will follow!
Luckily not everybody buys into the FUD.
- nhnFreespirit
Personally, I don't see how any government can in good conscience spend money on a solution, when there is a free, standards based alternative.
Go Away! Not for Sale
They approved a licence that is not open source and branded it as "open source". Read the following:
3 ,39190311,00.htm
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/software/0,200006173
Access to source code also reduces the risk of vendor lock-in.
MS bashing aside, this is the real issue. If you like MS software and it does the job for you, then go ahead and use it if that is what you want. The problem I have is when some government agency makes their public record information available only in Word or Publisher format. (I know OOo does word, but that is not the point). Once governments push for truly open data interchange standards, industry will follow and the sky is the limit.
Simply look at the history of telecommunications and the early years of the automotive industry before things like ITU and SAE standards were around. It was a dismal place for consumers and businesses. That is the current state of the IT industry. It is a patchwork of incompatible and proprietary lock in devices.
I think that at some point, an organization as big as a country's government should consider itself in a good position not to accept vendor lock-in, where the cost savings are just part of the equation. So yes, it will probably catch on. This demand is already being recognized by vendors, considering MS' shared-source program.
see a Text Widget
I'm sure everyone knows who developed SELinux? Surpise... NSA! The FCC as well has been using at least 4 distos of linux for quite a few years, and not just for their severs either.
I also know that my local city govenment (Bakersfield, CA) is using Firefox. (although they still leave shortcuts for IE). To further make my point... quit assuming that US govenment agencies are not considering OSS. Even Redmond,WA (until recently) was using linux servers. I would love to know how many MS employees have Firefox on their desktops.
What other TLA's are using OSS/Linux?
Is it any surprise that a nation descended from the worst convicts and criminals England could throw away would eventually align itself with Open Source Software, well known throughout the world as a transparent price-fixing scam... :)
Athletic Scholarships to universities make as much sense as academic scholarships to sports teams.
Particularly in the education sector. As a student at a Queensland State School, I have no other choice than to use Windows boxes, with Word and Internet Explorer. Not because it's easier for the admin to set up (and let's face it, most school admins are a bit dim), but because Education Queensland has a contract with Microsoft to teach me about Microsoft products. We get advertisements about special deals on Office, frequent assignments (in the junior school) centred around PowerPoint and our ANZAC day ceremony was nothing more than two "Presentations" and a trumpeteer. Why is it that the Liberal (not actual liberals) government is buying into Open Source, while Labor is siding with Microsoft?
Yes, we love our Fosters, it is the best Aussie beer ever. I personally drink 3 pints of the stuff with breakfast, lunch and tea.
Shh! We've got to let them think we drink camel piss ..ur... Fosters, so we can keep all the good beer to ourselves.
The Internet's nature is peer to peer - 20050301_cs_profs.pdf