[plug] [link] Open Source win in Mass. US

[Ben Jensz]

Jens Porup wrote:

>>From a business point of view, you are certainly correct.
>
>But what about when it's government we're talking about?
>
>Do you think the government has a duty to operate in as transparent,
>auditable manner as possible? Do you think the Freedom of Information
>Act is a good thing?
>
>Do you want to reduce Australia's balance of trade deficit? 
>(Mandating Open Source turns off the flow of taxpayer money
>overseas, and creates jobs for local programmers customising that
>open source software.)
>
>  
>
That should be a consideration, but if we're talking about the level of 
productivity and level of service that these government departments are 
able to offer to the people that they are supposed to be servicing 
(whether its another level of government that they service or the 
public), if a product produced by an overseas company is a better choice 
than a locally supported open source product then the choice is simple.  
But if they are on a par, local should always win and locally produced 
products should ALWAYS be considered.  If anything should be mandated, 
it should be that locally produced/supported products should always be 
given fair consideration amongst other non-local alternatives.

>If there are equivalent tools of equal merit available open source,
>would you mandate that the government use them?
>
>  
>
If it comes down to the choice between a proprietary software package 
and an open source package it would come down to support arrangements 
for that software IMHO.  I would choose local support over overseas 
support for a product any day if the quality of that support was on a par.


/ Ben

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