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  From: Andrew Reid <andrew.reid@plug.cx>
  To  : Damien Uern <carrigan_2606@optusnet.com.au>
  Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2003 17:45:06 +0930

SA Government Denouncing Open Source (was: Re: [OT] The United State of Oz ?)

----- Original Message -----
From: "Damien Uern" <carrigan_2606@optusnet.com.au>
To: "Linux SA" <linuxsa@linuxsa.org.au>
Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2003 10:53 PM
Subject: Re: [OT] The United State of Oz ?


> I don't think much would change really. America bends over and
Australia
> kisses its arse. Look at how John Howard bows to pressure from the US.
Look
> at how the South Australian government just bowed to the ISC and
practically
> denounced Open Source as "crap", or more accurately (and I quote)
"[not]
> suitable for fundamental business functions"

That's because there's a very compelling argument as far as the
government is concerned *not* to change anything. Microsoft is a
relatively huge financial burden on the state when put in the context of
Linux, but it's one that the government can (seemingly) afford.

There's also a very compelling argument to change to Open Source, but
there are a number of areas where the government would have to put
forward significant capital investment to bring it to a satisfactory
level.

Open Source, particularly Linux or FreeBSD, would be a worthwhile option
on the backend, as a certain Peter Freeman of this parish continues to
demonstrate, but I have my doubts about Open Source (Operating System)
on the desktop, particularly given the fact that there are literally
millions invested in applications, databases and other shite that would
need tinkering with (or re-writing).

Moreover, I'm not sure (literally, have no idea) how capable something
like Star Office would be for some of the more complex things that go on
(or have gone on) in places like DAIS. I know that Star *works*, but the
extent to which it does and how well it performs in real pressure
remains to be seen by my eyes.

So, I'm not so sure that the government has just "bowed" to the ISC.
Your quote, while wonderfully persuasive out of context like that, is
more a reflection of the fact that there's no organised approach
offering a complete Microsoft-replacement package, combined with some of
the other things mentioned above.

However, if an organisation like EDS had gone to the government with a
proposal to change certain infrastructure over to Open Source, the whole
thing would have a lot more credence.

Seeing as we're quoting bits and pieces, perhaps the fact that Minister
Weatherill said in his letter that "We'll design a procurement system
that ensures maximum options for government, including open source for
evaluation next to proprietary software" should be considered in light
of the fact that, while Open Source software is vastly underused within
government departments, it isn't deliberately not used. As I eluded to
earlier, it's being used in a government department now.

Mandating Open Source in preference of anything else is, when you boil
it down, essentially the same, in principle, as mandating Microsoft,
Apple, Novell, or any other software provider. It's actually quite
sensible to design a procurement system that does ensure maximum options
for the government, which is what Minister Weatherill said the
government's going to do.

I continue to get a chuckle out of the fact that there are a number of
people on this list who (consciously or otherwise) believe that it's
members of Parliament that decides what software we, as a state, are
going to put on the desktops and servers of the various government
departments. That decision is taken by a combination of departmental IS
Managers, and EDS people.

The whole issue (let alone the subject title) is ludicrously blown out
of proportion. I doubt whether Minister Weatherill has the first idea
about software procurement. Things go on, decisions are made, open
source software is used, despite the fact that the Minister responsible
doesn't really know the intricacies of it all.

People in the Open Source community put a lot of effort into talking
about this stuff, condemning governments and complaining bitterly about
the fact that Open Source is being officially ignored. It's no bloody
wonder, really.

   - andrew

--
| Andrew Reid [mailto:andrew.reid@plug.cx]
| Overworked and Underpaid Network Monkey
| C: +61-401-946-813  F: +61-8-8379-1093

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