Wheeler: California: Open Source Software is Okay!

David A. Wheeler looks at California's recent declaration that the use of open source software is an "acceptable practice" for the state government. In his blog posting, Wheeler considers the impact that the declaration will have: "I think this is a big deal. Officially saying 'it's okay to use free/libre/open source software (FLOSS)' is really important before FLOSS can get widespread use in governments. Most technologists already understand the potential advantages of FLOSS, but they encounter a lot of resistance when they try to use or develop FLOSS in large organizations like governments. Far too many middle managers are instinctively afraid of change from 'the way we've always done it'. For example, they may be afraid of unseen problems, or afraid their bosses will rake them over the coals later."

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