Imposing standards can be give freedom sometimes..
An example would be that a government choose a specific document-format for the entire government and other public organizations. I dont know which format this should be, but absolutely not Microsafts ".doc"-format. An open-format would be the choice of course.
If the standard is for the government and other public orgs, I have no problem with that. AAMOF, I would prefer open standards there since it is my tax dollars going to pay for it.
OTOH, it was not clear from the article whether we were just talking about public institutions, or private institutions also. Obviously, the government should not force private institutions to use open standards, but rather that force should come solely from the market place...
Developers must have the power to choose what to do with their software
I agree. It was not clear to me from the text whether or not the proposal is attempting to force people to license their software using some kind of open source license whenever possible, or whether the proposal is just saying the French government will give preference to open source software in their own systems.
The former, I disagree with whole heartedly. The decision on how software should be licensed, and what is done with that software belongs with those who developed it. If they want to make it "free" or "open", so be it. If they want to make it "proprietary" and "closed", more power to them (just don't expect me to rush out and buy it...).
OTOH, a government giving prefernce to open software in their own systems and requiring the systems that they (the government) develop to be open source whenever possible sounds like a very good idea.
I would just like to see more information on this proposal before I determine if it is a good idea or not.
Now only if the USA would live up to its "freedoms" and insist on freely available software and standards.
Huh? Are you implying government imposed standards? That, it seems to me, would remove freedoms, not add to them.
Furthermore, the way we have things right now in the US (WRT software licensing) is about as free as you can get. We are all free to use whatever licensing we choose on whatever software we produce ourselves (assuming we are not deriving it from some other work, then we must whatever restrictions are placed on it by that author). What could be more free than that?
Are you suggesting that the US government should force companies and individuals to use open source licenses? If so, I would suggest that you have a fairly warped idea of what freedom is...
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An example would be that a government choose a specific document-format for the entire government and other public organizations. I dont know which format this should be, but absolutely not Microsafts ".doc"-format. An open-format would be the choice of course.
If the standard is for the government and other public orgs, I have no problem with that. AAMOF, I would prefer open standards there since it is my tax dollars going to pay for it.
OTOH, it was not clear from the article whether we were just talking about public institutions, or private institutions also. Obviously, the government should not force private institutions to use open standards, but rather that force should come solely from the market place...
I agree. It was not clear to me from the text whether or not the proposal is attempting to force people to license their software using some kind of open source license whenever possible, or whether the proposal is just saying the French government will give preference to open source software in their own systems.
The former, I disagree with whole heartedly. The decision on how software should be licensed, and what is done with that software belongs with those who developed it. If they want to make it "free" or "open", so be it. If they want to make it "proprietary" and "closed", more power to them (just don't expect me to rush out and buy it...).
OTOH, a government giving prefernce to open software in their own systems and requiring the systems that they (the government) develop to be open source whenever possible sounds like a very good idea.
I would just like to see more information on this proposal before I determine if it is a good idea or not.
Huh? Are you implying government imposed standards? That, it seems to me, would remove freedoms, not add to them.
Furthermore, the way we have things right now in the US (WRT software licensing) is about as free as you can get. We are all free to use whatever licensing we choose on whatever software we produce ourselves (assuming we are not deriving it from some other work, then we must whatever restrictions are placed on it by that author). What could be more free than that?
Are you suggesting that the US government should force companies and individuals to use open source licenses? If so, I would suggest that you have a fairly warped idea of what freedom is...