[plug] Another Government goes Open Source

[Colin Muller]

Pertinent in some ways to Michael's topic tonight, the South African
government has released a policy framework document which 'recommends
that government "explicitly" support the adoption of open source
software as part of its e-government strategy':

http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/computing/2002/0209091122.asp?A=LIN&O=F

And they've set up an official (but still very sparse) OSS site:
http://www.oss.gov.za/

This follows a discussion paper published in January by a government
think-tank, which recommended this OSS direction:
http://www.naci.org.za/docs/opensource.html

The January paper was followed within weeks by an offer direct from
Bill Gates to the president of S. Africa to provide MS software for
free to schools and at huge discount to universities. I was among, I
am sure, many who pointed out to the government the negative results
of accepting such an offer, and it seems that at least some people in
government were listening.

Now, how do we achieve the same in WA?

Colin