MESSAGE
| DATE | 2003-02-08 |
| FROM | Ruben I Safir
|
| SUBJECT | Subject: [hangout] Re: Open Source for National and Local eGovernment Programs in the U.S. and EU
|
> GNU/Linux is just an operating system. While this operating system is
> itself free software, you can run both free and non-free software on it.
> A Linux conference is not a Free Software or Open Source conference.
>
> The March event has the title "Open Source for National and Local
> eGovernment Programs in the U.S. and EU". I believe most of us are
> assuming that the use of the term Open Source is as defined by the OSI at
> http://www.opensource.org/docs/definition.php
>
> Software or topics that do not meet the definition of the words in the
> title of the conference should be labeled as such. This seems like a
> pretty simple thing to do to avoid the negativity that will otherwise
> become a distraction around this event.
>
I nearly agree with this enough to think it would be satisfactory except for two things.
A- Marketing to the Government Free Software is already a difficult task, and the focus
of the benifits of free digital systems for the government should be the only focus of the
conference. There is no justification to give Microsoft a platform for marketing against free
software.
B- The warning lable would not be strong enough to overcome the Microsoft PR machine. It would
need a run down such as I put forward before listing all the violations of antitrust that Microsoft
is guilty of, AND its blatent attempts to destroy Free Software and the community.
These guys would starve free software developers and users to death, and not think twice. I must say though,
when they show up for this meeting, they will not be as confused about their goals as the organiers of this
conference. They KNOW what their goals are, and they have a PLAN to execute their goals.
Ruben
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