[vox] [Fwd] Warning CPR provisions for OpenSource under attack

[Bill Kendrick]

On Mon, Aug 30, 2004 at 12:51:02PM -0700, Bill Kendrick wrote:
> 
> I've got a few follow-ups to pass along, as well.

Here's the first follow-up from Owen.  I'll suggest he join LUGOD's
vox or vox-outreach mailing list to be more directly active with us...


  Apparently I misquoted the section... The real section is here:
  
    <http://www.report.cpr.ca.gov/cprrpt/issrec/stops/it/so10.htm>
  
  and is a GLOWING recommendation for Open Source with good facts to back
  it up.  I think it is important that the Open Source community provide
  positive feedback and comments on this recommendation.  There were no less
  than three people who testified at the public hearing I attended.  One
  was from an organization that euphemistically calls itself the Institute
  for Software Choice.  Another claimed to be from a non-partisan think tank.
  I forget the association of the third one.  In any case, they all carried
  the following messages:
  
    + Open Source isn't ready for prime time.
    + Open Source isn't actually trustworthy.
    + The only reason Open Source appears less vulnerable is because
      it isn't widely enough used or attractive enough to attack.
    + Open Source is dangerous.
    + This recommendation should be removed from the report.
  
  I think the report does a good job of addressing most of these points, but,
  if the only public comments they hear are from these self-proclaimed experts
  in the industry, that will have a negative impact.
  
  There was one speaker who was a state IT employee.  A Ms. Maldonado.
  She did not speak specifically to Open Source, but, instead encouraged
  the state to realize the cost of underfunded IT mandates and consider
  the advantages of insourcing.
  
  I think describing ways in which an insourced competent support and
  development staff of trained IT professionals could leverage open source
  solutions to provide maximum benefit to the state and its constituents
  might be a valuable approach here.
  
  I also think that we should expand the content of recommendation SO10
  to include some other advantages carried by the state deploying Open
  Source software where feasible.
  
  Thinks like standardized data formats and APIs that can be leveraged by
  any developer or application to make data access more flexible, convenient,
  and cost effective.  The ability to publish data to the public in formats
  that do not require people to possess any particular proprietary software.
  The ability to leverage a wide community of expertise in product and project
  development at little or no cost to the state.
  
  Anyway, this is pretty much stream of consciousness from my reading the
  actual recommendation now that I found it.  I'll be filing formal written
  comments soon.  I'll send a copy of what I file to this same distribution.
  
  Owen


-bill!