"First they ignore you,
then they laugh at you,
then they fight you,
then you win."
Interesting to see how much Gandhi knew about open source software.
Find a computer minded NGO and get them send to Africa. Getting usable spare parts in East-Africa is a mayor problem. A shipload of drives would really help.
Sorry dude, your wrong
I spoke to several "top brass" guys at the ministries and the are dead serious.
Open standards is the way to go, open source the thing to follow it up.
The reaction to Microsoft's FUD letter on the conference the day after was very clear.
The balance has been shifted....
Hi All,
I attended the conference of ososs.nl (http://www.ososs.nl/, mainly Dutch), which was held the day after the documents passed Dutch parlement. Ososs was set up by the Dutch government and they are co-writes of the document of the Netherlands Economic Affairs Ministry
To get the facts;), this is what it boils down to:
1) Any govenmental agency must by default use solutions and products that use open standards. Only with a very good reason one can choose a closed standards product. If currently a closed standards solution is used, replacing it should be done with an open standards version ("ist" to "soll" situation).
2) Open-Source products must be considered in any aquisition of new products. It must be weighted on equal terms with closed-source products.
3) All things being equal, open-source is the preferred choice.
4) Interoperability, govenmental transparancy and innovation are at least as important as the price of the solution.
4) There is a deadline of April 2008 to implement the use of Open Document Format for all external communications within all branches of the govenment
5) All semi-govenmental agencies have until 2011 to implement ODF
6) The parlement explicitly stated that education must be included in this initiative. Not only for their internal ICT, but as an integral part of education of pupils and students in ICT.
7) The parlement will keep watching progress being made.
I personally feel that the most intresting point is not just the points above, but the fact that the govenment is using a top-down approach, which has full support of both the Home office as well as the Economic Affairs Ministry. I feel this is a landslide victory for open standards and open source in the Netherlands. Futhermore, I'd like to add that all parties in the parlement, left to right, were in favour of this act; this has not happened in a very long time...
Although in terms of technology it is indeed a nice contest, I don't see how transporting a solar car, two normal cars and a van to Australia from the Netherlands (or any other country), and then driving these for the same 3000 miles, does anything to contribute to the real reason for having have solar powered cars, namely conserve enery....
For once we can do what our "friend$" do all the time: do marketing. Choosing between "free beer" and marketing, perhaps today is a good day for marketing...
Slashdot Mirror
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." Interesting to see how much Gandhi knew about open source software.
Find a computer minded NGO and get them send to Africa. Getting usable spare parts in East-Africa is a mayor problem. A shipload of drives would really help.
Sorry dude, your wrong I spoke to several "top brass" guys at the ministries and the are dead serious. Open standards is the way to go, open source the thing to follow it up. The reaction to Microsoft's FUD letter on the conference the day after was very clear. The balance has been shifted....
Hi All,
;), this is what it boils down to:
I attended the conference of ososs.nl (http://www.ososs.nl/, mainly Dutch), which was held the day after the documents passed Dutch parlement. Ososs was set up by the Dutch government and they are co-writes of the document of the Netherlands Economic Affairs Ministry
To get the facts
1) Any govenmental agency must by default use solutions and products that use open standards. Only with a very good reason one can choose a closed standards product. If currently a closed standards solution is used, replacing it should be done with an open standards version ("ist" to "soll" situation).
2) Open-Source products must be considered in any aquisition of new products. It must be weighted on equal terms with closed-source products.
3) All things being equal, open-source is the preferred choice.
4) Interoperability, govenmental transparancy and innovation are at least as important as the price of the solution.
4) There is a deadline of April 2008 to implement the use of Open Document Format for all external communications within all branches of the govenment
5) All semi-govenmental agencies have until 2011 to implement ODF
6) The parlement explicitly stated that education must be included in this initiative. Not only for their internal ICT, but as an integral part of education of pupils and students in ICT.
7) The parlement will keep watching progress being made.
I personally feel that the most intresting point is not just the points above, but the fact that the govenment is using a top-down approach, which has full support of both the Home office as well as the Economic Affairs Ministry. I feel this is a landslide victory for open standards and open source in the Netherlands.
Futhermore, I'd like to add that all parties in the parlement, left to right, were in favour of this act; this has not happened in a very long time...
Although in terms of technology it is indeed a nice contest, I don't see how transporting a solar car, two normal cars and a van to Australia from the Netherlands (or any other country), and then driving these for the same 3000 miles, does anything to contribute to the real reason for having have solar powered cars, namely conserve enery....
For once we can do what our "friend$" do all the time: do marketing.
Choosing between "free beer" and marketing, perhaps today is a good day for marketing...
Mmm, if his word processor makes these kinds of errors, it's most likely patented...