Posted by: Anonymous Coward
on October 27, 2003 05:42 PM
I hope the Redmond vultures don't swoop down on this and use it to accelerate their FUD campaign. This should also give pause to the people in the Open Source software in government efforts. Maybe before they put forth these blanket (must consider Open Source) bills, they should consider first putting forth simple, separate, and with unimpeachable intent, legislation that would ban future government purchases of any hardware that is not compliant with all viable alternative PC software and operating systems. Thereby avoiding future (CDROM like) problems, insure governments ability to adopt open source solutions at any future point. And would force hardware manufacturers like LG electronics to not only test all of their products with OSS software, but also provide alternative OSS device drivers (even binary if they must) for them as well. (what mfg would allow themselves to become non compliant or ineligible for government contracts?) Of course everyone sespects that Microsoft is behind the device driver sand bagging. This point, and line of thought, might provide the open source community a very good counter strategy to any FUD storms that may develop from this unfortunate Mandrake situation. Actually giving us a legitemate cause to bring to the forefront the lack of manufacturers compliant OSS hardware and driver suport. The lack of available, fully compliant hardware with their essential device drivers, are a huge exploitable gray area loophole in the must consider Open Source bills as they stand now anyway.
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Non OSS compliant Hardware in E-Government
Posted by: Anonymous Coward on October 27, 2003 05:42 PMThis should also give pause to the people in the Open Source software in government efforts. Maybe before they put forth these blanket (must consider Open Source) bills, they should consider first putting forth simple, separate, and with unimpeachable intent, legislation that would ban future government purchases of any hardware that is not compliant with all viable alternative PC software and operating systems. Thereby avoiding future (CDROM like) problems, insure governments ability to adopt open source solutions at any future point. And would force hardware manufacturers like LG electronics to not only test all of their products with OSS software, but also provide alternative OSS device drivers (even binary if they must) for them as well. (what mfg would allow themselves to become non compliant or ineligible for government contracts?)
Of course everyone sespects that Microsoft is behind the device driver sand bagging.
This point, and line of thought, might provide the open source community a very good counter strategy to any FUD storms that may develop from this unfortunate Mandrake situation. Actually giving us a legitemate cause to bring to the forefront the lack of manufacturers compliant OSS hardware and driver suport.
The lack of available, fully compliant hardware with their essential device drivers, are a huge exploitable gray area loophole in the must consider Open Source bills as they stand now anyway.
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