Slashdot Mirror
A Linux Users Group for Professionals?
ir0b0t asks: "I'm a lawyer in a solo divorce practice in Missoula, Montana. I have migrated my office to OpenOffice, Firefox, Thunderbird and Sunbird but want to do more Open Source, yet I have issues that come up nearly every day. The problems I encounter are often unique to running a small law practice. Coders sometimes give me blank looks when I describe what I need. Other lawyers tend to automatically use proprietary solutions and show little interest in Open Source alternatives. I want to eventually use only Open Source code in my office. I am willing to do my homework. Are there others like me out there? Is there a Linux Users Group or other online forum for professionals like me who want more Open Source solutions for our work? Thanks."
PJ over at http://groklaw.net/ might be able to help, or point you to peolple who are doing this. I think she is planning a Linux LiveCD for lawyers.
Depending on what you do, and what software you need, you can't migrate everything to open source, and that's a fact you have to accept, only if you haven't accepted it yet. I only mention it that way, because you did not.
The main issues include:
- a standard application that "everyone" uses, in the industry you are in, is not supported on Linux. ie: mortgage brokers who use a particular set of programs to create and process applications.
- some industry applications require proprietary software to run. ie: Realtors who use the online MLS listing who need IE to access the website.
- a bigger issue is learning curve. If I know an application really well, and I'm effective in what I do with it, why should I have to learn a new application?
- some open source applications can't do all the features as the proprietary application I use. this is a fact in a number of cases. What are you going to do, add the features to the open source version until they are all in there? Unfortunately, that's not always a feasible approach.
The good news is, there are open source solution for common things, like web browsing, email, group tasks, filesharing and printing, many of the common tasks you can do in an office.
The easiest transitions you can make is usually on the server side (web server, email, filesharing), the stuff that's pretty transparent to users. Then you can migrate users on the client side, slowly, and with applications where they can gain an advantage on. Transitioning to open source, for the sake of open source is not a reason to do it. As long as you provide enough reason, and suitable solutions, you will have a good chance with users switching.
I've been advocating for a little shark icon to go next to the Friend/Foe/Subscriber icons so everybody can stop writing 'IANAL, but...' but everytime I bring it up, somebody has to post, "but there aren't any lawyers on Slashdot".
So, may ir0b0t be the proud first bearer of 'The Shark'.
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
I subscribed to the debian lex mailing list a while ago out of curiosity. I can't say I know much more having subscribed, but perhaps there are some subscribers there with other specific ideas or answers to your question. No guarantees. Oh, IANAL.
Debian-lex Project Page
A link to the mailing list archive-- with a couple of messages from this month!-- can be found among other bits of info there.
I understand the problem you're going through; let's face it, most people look at you with a blank stare anytime you say *anything* related to computers.
That said, I worked on the migration of a firm in Billings, MT to OSS. What we found was that there really *is* no replacement for the capstone software, Amicus Attorney, and I couldn't even make it run on Crossover. So we use OpenOffice instead of MS, and Firefox/Thunderbird, but are forced into Windows for one app (usual story). Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the legal field just isn't interested in Linux, *because* the big firms (like the Washington Big 10, for instance) are IP lawyers, so they're *defending* Microsoft etc. Tacky to use the competition, it seems.
If you have no need for Amicus, then what software, really, do you need? PM me, we can discuss the issue.
Try this - http://www.smallbizgeeks.com/phpBB2/ They are pretty active and there are good forums, some of which may interest you.