Irish Eyes Are Smiling on Open Source [LWN.net]

eWeek covers initiatives to create an Open Source Center of Excellence across Ireland. "Momentum NI, a trade association representing some 170 of Northern Ireland's ICT (Information Communications and Technology) companies, is spearheading the initiative and wants the center to span Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. "We are also planning to hold 'the great open-source debate' next year, which will look at how free and open-source technology, as a disruptive technology, has changed the way the software industry does business and the new opportunities it has spawned," Ian Graham, Momentum NI's chief executive, told eWEEK here Monday."

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Irish Eyes Are Smiling on Open Source

Posted Dec 7, 2005 7:34 UTC (Wed) by dw (subscriber, #12017) [Link]

It may be more correct to say 'British eyes are smiling on open source', depending on what part of the Northern Irish community you are from. ;)

This is not the first attempt by a Northern Ireland organisation to spur support for open source in the local IT world. A previous attempt, http://www.niosc.org/, the Northern Irish Open Source {Community|Consortium} appears to have died completely.

Of the companies that are members of Momentum, I am aware of only one whos core product offering was specifically designed for Linux from the start. Of all the member companies, I am aware of none that actually implements an open-source friendly business model, or contributes in any significant way to the open source community.

As such, in my eyes this latest attempt can only be seen as a 'how to rape and pillage free software' knowledge push to mainly-Microsoft houses, or some kind of PR stunt on the part of Momentum (who aren't a well known organisation locally) to show some kind of innovative thinking, or perhaps it is a bit of both.

Irish Eyes Are Smiling on Open Source

Posted Dec 7, 2005 11:40 UTC (Wed) by bg123 (guest, #34392) [Link]

Considering the article said its to span both the north and the republic, its probably fair to say your "correction" about british eyes is nothing more than small minded bigotry.
So, please, stfu.

Irish Eyes Are Smiling on Open Source

Posted Dec 8, 2005 9:48 UTC (Thu) by dw (subscriber, #12017) [Link]

Regardless of whether any proposed 'open source center' spans all of Ireland or not, the organisation itself operates from the North. The title is therefore somewhat misleading. With regards to the 'small minded bigotry', as a native Northern resident all my life with many friends on both sides of the border, I know of nobody who would take offence at the half-PC, half-satirical title correction.

Irish humour, oft-misunderstood by foreigners, typically absorbs such things as 100 years of violence and civil war and allows us to casually joke about such things in public. Such an act is often referred to locally as 'banter' or 'craic'.

Not only do you appear unfamiliar with Irish culture, but also the etiquette of LWN, where objective discussion-raising comment posting is the norm. I have certainly never seen disparaging acronyms like 'STFU' on LWN before your comment post. Please go home to Slashdot, or post comments relating to the topic at hand.

Irish Eyes Are Smiling on Open Source

Posted Dec 7, 2005 14:33 UTC (Wed) by MartyPauley (guest, #34394) [Link]

There is at least one Momentum member that "actually implements an open-source friendly business model" and "contributes ... to the open source community". It is likely that the part of the Open Source community they are involved in is not the same part as most of you.

Irish Free Software Organisation

Posted Dec 7, 2005 12:28 UTC (Wed) by coriordan (guest, #7544) [Link]

Being on the board of Irish Free Software Organisation, I'm surprised to learn about this in this way. I'll try to contact them now.

We have some experience in organising interesting debates in Ireland, like recently when we had a panel taking software patent questions from an audience including pro-swpatters such as Microsoft (part of half-day anti-swpat seminar, recordings and transcripts of which are now online).

Irish Free Software Organisation

Posted Dec 7, 2005 14:36 UTC (Wed) by MartyPauley (guest, #34394) [Link]

> Being on the board of Irish Free Software Organisation, I'm surprised to
> learn about this in this way. I'll try to contact them now.

Speaking for two Free Software & Open Source organisations in Belfast, and for two Free Software friendly companies in Belfast, we are also surprised to learn about this in the same way. But at least we know now.