Who are they going to ask? [LWN.net]

Who are they going to ask?

Posted Oct 1, 2003 0:40 UTC (Wed) by a_hippie (guest, #34)
Parent article: Proprietary software--banned in Boston? (News.com)

Hopefully this isn't too stupid of a question, but exactly who will be
consulted when it comes time to evaluate alternatives to proprietary
software? Is there any organization currently in operation where US
governments can turn for Free or Open Source Software (FOSS) assistance?
Is there a 1-800-freedom telephone number they can call? I know M$ is
everywhere lobbying/selling/forcing their wares, so I am sure than when it
comes time for MA to begin their FOSS quest, M$ will be there, and there,
and there too.

Viva la MA! May your quest result in the best FOSS has to offer, openly.

Wishing you well.

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Who are they going to ask?

Posted Oct 1, 2003 2:40 UTC (Wed) by proski (subscriber, #104) [Link]

The best solution for the government would be to buy a package with support and let the contractor decide. The government is elected to make political decisions, and choosing between GNU/Linux and FreeBSD for the government webserver is not a political decision. Whoever can do it better and within allocated budget should be free to determine the details.

Who are they going to ask?

Posted Oct 1, 2003 3:20 UTC (Wed) by dwheeler (guest, #1216) [Link]

I don't know about this state's government, but many governments (and certainly the federal government) already have people whose job it is to evaluate alternatives, or have people with special limitations (can't compete, etc.) who can help them evaluate alternatives.

And if they need help evaluating products, I suggest looking at my recent paper describing how to evaluate open source software / free software (OSS/FS). It has lots of tips on how to evaluate OSS/FS programs.