Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Should Obama Give Stimulus To Open Source?

Posted by samzenpus on from the more-money-please dept.

snydeq writes "InfoWorld's Bill Snyder posits a deeper relationship between government and open source than was proposed in last week's open letter to Obama calling for broader open source adoption: economic stimulus. Since software vendors urged the president to go open source last week, security companies 'have raised scary points about vulnerabilities in open source,' suggesting they could step in to help secure an open source switch. Rather than opt for this kind of security through obscurity, Snyder argues in favor of earmarking funds for open source development to instead ensure security through transparency. 'Once the government expands its use and support of open source, venture money — which is drying up in the current recession — would again start flowing to those small companies, allowing them to hire or rehire some of the tens of thousands of unemployed IT workers,' he argues."

5 of 525 comments (clear)

  1. Re:oh god no by Jrabbit05 · · Score: 5, Funny

    get a job hippy.

  2. Buy American by joshsnow · · Score: 5, Funny

    Dear Mr President, You really should be buying American products in order to stimulate economic recovery in the United States of America. May I take this opportunity to remond you that MICROSOFT is an AMERICAN CORPORATION! BUY AMERICAN! BUY AMERICAN! We love you, Mr President Sincerely, Steve Ballmer

  3. Open source in a closed environment by hardihoot · · Score: 2, Funny

    Bureau of Open Source Software Technology: 80% of funds received

    This bureau will consist of individuals attending seminars in the Bahamas and Hawaii to determine the best Open Source methods. Limo's will of course be required in all travel modes to ensure a comfortable atmosphere when deciding upon Open Source issues.

    • Office of Environmental Impact of Open Source Technology: 10% of funds received
    • Office of Open Source Technology Public Awareness: 5% of funds received
    • Office of Feeling Good about Open Source Technology: 4% of funds received
    • Open Source Develpment and Implementation: 1% of funds received

    Result: Except for the Office of Open Source Technology, everyone will continue using existing vendors because there was no funding available to migrate all the databaes and custom applications to the Open Source format.

    --
    A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver --Proverbs 25:11
  4. Barack is good at 'special' stimulation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Apparently Barack Obama has been giving his wife some special stimulation. [SFW]

  5. Re:oh god no by shadow349 · · Score: 1, Funny

    If you really are opposed to this on such idealistic grounds, then you should be opposed to the entire concept of a stimulus package.

    I am sitting here in awe of your powers of perception.

    Next are you going to tell me that fish can swim, the Pope is Catholic, and bears really do shit in the woods?