I am well aware of who pays my salary, and I am also well aware that I am paid to do work that serves the public. My point has nothing to do with whether or not FOIA gives you or any other citizen the *right* of access to software developed by federal employees (so long as none of the exemptions of the statute apply).
My point, rather, is that I find it disturbing that so many people are using of gaining access to free (as in "free beer", not "free speech") software. I very much support the goal of developing free and open medical information systems: that's why I'm willing to "pitch in" and try to help. But I very much dislike the whole culture of using FOIA as a tool to go prospecting for software. --- Wendell Murray <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hate to tell you, but citizens pay your salary. That doesn't equate > to > having access to everything the government does, but use for the > ultimate > benefit of the citizenry of a great resource such as VistA is > reasonable I > think. Don't you? Wendell Murray > > On 9/15/05, Greg Woodhouse <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > For the record, I think the Freedom of Infomation Act (FOIA) is one > of > > the fundamental protections we enjoy in the U.S., and I > wholeheartedly > > endorse it. However, every time someone mentions a piece of > software on > > this list, it seems like someone is sure to ask (in seconds) > whether it > > is available through FOIA, and that always makes me cringe. FOIA is > > meant to protect or civil rights. That's why it exists. But that's > not > > how it's being used or discussed on this list, is it? It's not an > > entitlement, nor is it intended as a means to coerce others into > > granting access to software they are developing. As a federal > employee, > > I resent that so many people seem to think they have (or shoul > have) a > > right to see every scrap of code I've ever written. Yes, I did > choose > > to work for the federal government, and yes I am glad that I did. I > > want to think that the work I do makes a positive differencver in > the > > world, but I find all this talk of using FOIA as a legal weapon not > > only galling (even a little predatory), but demeaning as well. > > > > > > === > > Gregory Woodhouse <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > > > > > "Without the requirement of mathematical aesthetics a great many > > discoveries would not have been made." > > > > -- Albert Einstein > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------- > > SF.Net email is sponsored by: > > Tame your development challenges with Apache's Geronimo App Server. > > > Download > > it for free - -and be entered to win a 42" plasma tv or your very > own > > Sony(tm)PSP. Click here to play: > http://sourceforge.net/geronimo.php > > _______________________________________________ > > Hardhats-members mailing list > > Hardhats-members@lists.sourceforge.net > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/hardhats-members > > > === Gregory Woodhouse <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> "Without the requirement of mathematical aesthetics a great many discoveries would not have been made." -- Albert Einstein ------------------------------------------------------- SF.Net email is sponsored by: Tame your development challenges with Apache's Geronimo App Server. Download it for free - -and be entered to win a 42" plasma tv or your very own Sony(tm)PSP. Click here to play: http://sourceforge.net/geronimo.php _______________________________________________ Hardhats-members mailing list Hardhats-members@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/hardhats-members
