[NTLUG:Discuss] Texas OpenSource Initiative

[Bobby Sanders]

--On Wed, 10 Apr 2002 08:24:35 -0500, Steve Baker <sjbaker1 at airmail.net> said:

  SB> Bobby Sanders wrote:
  >> --On Tue, 9 Apr 2002 14:46:12 -0500, "Bob Byron"
  >> <bbyron at radit.com> said:
  >> 
  >> >> It's time for the Texas LUGS to sponsor a bill to promote >>
  >> Opensource software in the state.
  >> 
  BB> I am not attempting to be belligerent here, but why?  I believe
  BB> in and frequently use OpenSource software, but why does the
  BB> state legislature need to get involved?

  SB> I think it would be reasonable to have a law to require the
  SB> State (and Federal, County and City) government departments to
  SB> provide all of their services in an OS/vendor/platform neutral
  SB> fashion.

  SB> I shouldn't have to have a copy of WORD in order to read a
  SB> letter from my son's school teacher - and I should be able to
  SB> access all of the state's web services from any computer that
  SB> adheres to established W3C standards.  I helped to pay for those
  SB> services - and it's only reasonable that they should be provided
  SB> in a form that I can use.

  SB> You'd be pretty upset if there was a requirement to own a Ford
  SB> vehicle in order to drive down certain state-owned roads for
  SB> example.  We don't seem to need legislation to prevent *that*
  SB> from happening - but that's probably because there are no
  SB> features of Chevy's that make them incompatible with Ford's -
  SB> and there is no 95% monopoly for any one car company.

  SB> Discrimination by the majority against the minority is bad - and
  SB> discriminating against Linux users is no less bad than
  SB> discriminating against any other minority.  Laws are needed to
  SB> prevent that.

  SB> I *don't* think it's reasonable to have laws that would require
  SB> the State to *use* OpenSource software though.  There might well
  SB> be good reasons not to - other than just the price.

Oh! I agree with this and everything else you have opined.  I
naturally assumed that the OpenSource software would be the best at
_everything_!  Of course, I've been wrong before - hope I live long
enough to be wrong again - sometime.

  SB> However, there should certainly be some kind of enquiry (or
  SB> better still - an ongoing review process) to seek cheaper and
  SB> more effective solutions to the government's computing needs -
  SB> and if that should point to an OpenSource solution then one
  SB> would presume that this would be a no-brainer.

----------------------------- Steve Baker -------------------------------
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