Response to the Federal govt RFI

[S P Arif Sahari Wibowo]

On Wed, 18 Feb 2009, Evan Leibovitch wrote:
> For reasons I don't want to review at this time I stick with 
> the term "open source software" and contrast it to 
> "free-proprietary" downloads.
>
> I am fully aware of the rationale behind "FOSS", "FLOSS", 
> "F/LOSS", all of which I consider a linguistic botch to serve 
> a political agenda which is out of place in the the RFI.

My guess is the proprietary software world, naming is important 
and the fact that FOSS people cannot even agree on standarized 
naming is liability in entering those world. :-)

IMHO "open source" software is inadequate since it seems refer 
to any software which source is available publicly, regardless 
what license limit that source or what NDA you have to sign to 
get it. IMHO if it need to be short "free source" software seems 
convey the characteristic better - in any case there is no 
limitation that the binary need to be free of cost. Thinking 
about other terms as well, but not sure if they will work: 
"enfranchised", "unfettered", "unbound", "liberated" software. 
:-)

> As I read it, the RFI is **NOT** asking the question "should 
> we use open source" but rather "if we do, how do our policies, 
> processes and expectations need to change?"
>
> The Canadian government is already using open source, and it's 
> trying to come to grips with how to reconcile open source 
> methods and models with its existing ways of obtaining and 
> using software.
>
> Well, that's how *I* read the RFI. It's not my intent to fill 
> my answer with advocacy; I'm sure there are others who will. 
> :-)

Yes, sorry, didn't say it properly. What I want to say is not 
about advocacy, but that the explanation should say what the 
effect to customer / consumer. So explaining the what is FOSS is 
necessary, but should also something about how that affect the 
customer / consumer, e.g. less ties to a vendor / ability to 
choose service / support provider more freely. The ability to 
choose how deep the institution want to involve probably a nice 
thing to add as well.

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                              (stephan paul) Arif Sahari Wibowo
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