On 7/15/06, Dean Michael Berris <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Yes, these are big plusses. However, the predicament that we are currently in -- the government currently using non-open source solutions that _already work_ and open source solutions (locally grown) that work but not as well as I personally would like -- we need to be pragmatic about it.
I suggest we look back to the root of incompetency in programming of our computer-related courses in the country: lack of exposure to open source computing and development platforms :)
If a local firm can actually get a fair playing field with regards to getting a contract sourced to them by developing open source solutions for goverment software requirements and then develop _quality_ software, that would be a good thing. However, right now, not all open source development firms in our country owned fully by Filipino nationals are qualified to bid for government software requirement projects. If that can be somehow addressed, perhaps that will be a good thing. But right now, I don't know a lot of firms that can deliver in case the government _will_ require or favor open source software for all software requirements in government.
I think we have different channels or target of the argument, and I believe that the proposed bill will enable and encourage local open source developers to jump the gun and develop for open source platforms and propose open source solutions to the government.
Yes, but this is like sitting in an Ivory Tower. Sure, it would great to think of the ideal case, but in the real world "training" is paramount to "doing" -- meaning, there is no better training than actually doing it.
The proposed bill in my opinion is an enabler for the government, if not a check in balance of government spending on computing facilities.
But please, don't get me wrong -- I would want to see the Philippines be treated as one of the premiere software development source countries alongside India and the US. However, I don't think it's the government's job to make that happen: it ultimately has to be done by us, the entrepreneurs and the youth that will drive the economy and growth of the nation, and eventually in the future run it. Until then, I personally will do my share -- but I don't let myself get disillusioned by the politics that is involved with getting anything done in _our_ government today and avoid making mistakes (IMO) such as requiring or unconditionally favoring open source software in the government.
If the government does something about a problem, we complain, much worse if it doesn't raise a finger. What gives? Maybe the government has already known that it needs technocrats to handle tecnical matters so it created DOST for that purpose. Yes politics is a hindrance to get proposals moving at a pace we desire it to be, but like the presence of evil in our midst, we better see it as a fact of life and live with it rather than rant about it.
Then a bill favoring Free Software license is not the solution: the solution would be a bill/law that will require that all software developed for government under a valid contract have as part of the stipulations the source code be turned over and made available for reuse and modification by the government, or a third party found to be suitable to extend the software in the future. This bill should not have anything to do with open source licenses, but rather the definition of the stipulations of contracts undertaken by the Philippine government.
Microsoft has more than 90% of the desktop computers being used in the government. Can't we have a bill that gives an option for the government to save? How bad is it for Microsoft to be reduced to at least 50% as computing platform for the government? How bad is it for the common Juan dela Cruz? It's in line with the government's agenda to save that we should have a law/bill in favor of open source software solutions, in favor of economic well-being of the country. _________________________________________________ Philippine Linux Users' Group (PLUG) Mailing List [email protected] (#PLUG @ irc.free.net.ph) Read the Guidelines: http://linux.org.ph/lists Searchable Archives: http://archives.free.net.ph
