[plug] SA open source bill

[Craig Ringer]

> The best tech should win - simple as that. I know its a naive view, because
> many deals are done by non-tech folk with kickbacks etc, but that is more of a
> issue of accountability than anything.
> 
> Laws promoting or demanding open protocols and file formats are infinitely
> better IMHO. All they would do is remove false barriers to entry, the very
> reason that Word and Excel are still so prevalent on the desktop.

I'm inclined to agree there - set the formats, and if a commercial 
vendor can provide a solution which is sufficiently attractive in 
support, cost, and quality - good on 'em. This way options are always 
open, and nobody is being forced into inappropriate choices. There are 
times when Linux + OO.o is /just not good enough/ for example - times 
when a given OSS setup just won't fit the requirements. Organisations 
should be free to use OSS when it's useful to do so, possibly enchancing 
it to better suit their needs - and free to use commercial stuff when 
that's more appropriate for their needs.

That said, nothing stops the gov't also requiring access to the code for 
internal purposes, and this is quite sensible for some applications 
(anything involving tax, criminal records, voting, etc). It doesn't hurt 
the commercial vendor, after all.

Craig Ringer