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Croatia Adopts Open Source Policy

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the everybody-is-doing-it dept.

lisah writes "Croatia says that concerns over the expense and limitations of proprietary software led to last month's decision to adopt a free and open source software policy within Croatia's government. Officials say the move will make the government's work more transparent as well as help to better manage its operating costs. Taking it a step further, under the new policy the government will also support the use of open source in schools, saying, 'both closed and open source solutions will be equally presented to students.' Vlatko Kosturjak, president of the Croatian Linux User Group, is unmoved. Citing the practical and technical difficulties of embracing open source on such a broad scale, he says until the policy is actually implemented, '[it] is just like an unsent letter.'"

10 of 99 comments (clear)

  1. Confirmation by LiquidCoooled · · Score: 5, Funny

    The governments' mum confirmed it has lost its job and is moving back into the basement.

    --
    liqbase :: faster than paper
  2. wrong guy? by User+956 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Vlatko Kosturjak, president of the Croatian Linux User Group, is unmoved. Citing the practical and technical difficulties of embracing open source on such a broad scale

    You sure this guy isn't the president of the Croatian Microsoft User Group?

    --
    The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
  3. Re:Translation by temojen · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Correction: We can't verify that some foreign government or corporation isn't spying on us if we use closed-source software. Also we can't translate the software into croatian ourselves, but have to wait for the vendor to do it.

  4. Re:We now have armies of our Croats by Lord+Prox · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm glad to see Croatia doing well afer the Yugo breakup in '91. Choosing Open Source leads me to think that the folks in charge there are awake and looking to keep things efficent and Open. Open Source, Open Society.

    ps... if he people in Croatia have any extra politicians available I would like to borrow 1 or 2 (dozen) for a few years. Rent or lease options possible.

    Sincerely
    An American.

  5. Great for now but ... by desideria · · Score: 4, Insightful

    In a month Microsoft will be offering them a fantastic licensing deal and like other countries that "decided" to use open source, they'll likely change their course.

    1. Re:Great for now but ... by Daengbo · · Score: 4, Informative

      What? Like Thailand a couple of years ago, with the gov't's own Linux on the fast track to becoming the national OS and the gov't requiring 90% use within two years? Oh, yeah, since MS offered the gov't a sweet deal, that software hasn't been updated. Last version was December 2004. In the lifespan of a Linux distro, that means that it's dead.

      --
      Put identity in the browser.
    2. Re:Great for now but ... by xtracto · · Score: 5, Interesting
      Oh, but Thailanees (people from Thailand?) are not alone, something similar happened in Mexico in 2002, when Miguel de Icaza and others started promoting the migration to "software libre" in the E-mexico project:


      The project, dubbed e-Mexico, was first introduced by the government of Vicente Fox shortly after the ex-Coca-Cola executive took over the presidency in December of 2000. Funding was scarce, though, and the government began to look to corporate players to fill the void.


      In fact, some time ago, I read that article (a bit old but still good and impressive for me) about what happened, and I had just read one of those "Microsoft is Bad but Bill Gates is great with his Bill&Melinda foundation" discussions in slashdot.

      The truth is that before reading this article I had the belief that well, even tough Microsoft acts bad because it is a corporation, maybe the man and his wife may be better but oh surprise:


      Despite general agreement that open-source technologies would be more flexible and cost efficient, Mexico's Linux revolution was quashed after Fox met with Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, according to de Icaza.

      "Bill Gates flew down to Mexico, and they announced a donation of $30 million dollars ... and Linux was dropped," de Icaza said.


      And, to make things worse:

      icrosoft has pledged $60 million in software and training to help fund Internet kiosks that are being built in remote communities. The software maker has also allotted $10 million to train workers in small and mid-size businesses, along with an additional grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the country's Vamos México program to be used to move the country's libraries online.


      Now, for those of you who does not know, this "Vamo México" program was made by the presidents wife, is is being investigaded by authorities for missuse and corruption .

      So, being things as they are here in Mexico (corruption has already rot the system) I am sure Mr. Fox got its piece of Gates cake to maintain MS software. But what I could not stand is the use of the Bill & Melinda foundation on this matters. I've got no respect from this man nor anything related to him.

      --
      Ubuntu is an African word meaning 'I can't configure Debian'
  6. Why only there? by Drysh · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I think government all around the world should adopt similar policies.

      1. Governamental software is usualy specialized, so they had to pay for the whole development. Now they can build uppon OSS saving money.
      2. The development will probably be made by locals. Creating more programmers there, and more business based on OSS (support, custom development, etc).
      3. They will have full control of what there softwares do. No more hidden calls home by proprietary software.
      4. Security will probably be better: security by secret is the worst kind.

    My only question is... Why only there? Why don't other nations use similar policies? Why they keep buying from foreign companies instead of using OSS?

  7. Croatia - a nerd's paradise? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Ah, Croatia, one of the best kept secrets. The blonde, blue-eyed women are among the tallest in the world. Nude beaches on the Adriatic Sea. Almost everyone speaks English as a second language (knowing Croatian of course will get you further, but you can pick that up over time). Everything is cheap. And now, open source.

  8. Re:We now have armies of our Croats by cozziewozzie · · Score: 4, Informative

    Nikola Tesla was not Serbian. He was a Serb. From Croatia. So both the Croats and Serbs make a claim on him, which is fine. Like when an ethnically Chinese person born in the US makes a great discovery, both the Chinese and Americans feel proud.

    Don't get ethnicity (Serb, Croat) mixed up with nationality (Serbian, Croatian). Tesla himself said that he was proud both of his Serb ancestry and Croatian homeland. The area where he was born has never been a part of Serbia.