Petition the UK government to consider open source in all IT procurement

[melat0nin]

Hello all

I've created a petition over at the Number 10 website (the UK government) asking them to consider free and open source software in all their IT procurement drives.

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/govt-oss/

My organisation (a government body) is about to spend £39k a year on a new IT system, when what we have is sufficient enough for our needs (word processing, research, internet access, email). They could better spend much less per year on an employee who could admin the machines to prevent WinRot (these older XP machines are a mess now; but if they were wiped clean they would be perfectly serviceable for our needs).

The culture of spending almost for the sake of it arises, in part, from the belief that spending is necessary on items like Windows and Office licenses. It's important, particularly in the midst of recession, that alternatives considered. Where they are not chosen, which is foreseeable as F/OSS can't always provide the best solution, the decision should be open to scrutiny to ensure there was no pressure from parties with particular interests.

Sign the petition here:

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/govt-oss/

(NB only UK residents or expats can sign it)

[maflynn]

You do realize that online partitions are nearly worthless and carry no weight in getting anything accomplished.

[Mehall]

You do realize that online partitions are nearly worthless and carry no weight in getting anything accomplished.

It was an online petition on that site that, along with some celebrity signatories, ended up with Gordon Brown giving an apology to Alan Turing for how he was treated after the war.

[Elfy]

That's hardly in the same league as getting a governemnt to change the way it does things - apologies are free.

Also has there not already been similar done?

[melat0nin]

I understand the point, but if a petition gets 250 signatures or more the Government has undertaken to give an official response. In many cases that might just be a fairly dismissive statement, but at least it's something.

They do, after all, have an Open Source policy, so it's not as though this would fall on entirely deaf ears. Nothing wrong with adding to the momentum behind F/OSS.

[Elfy]

I understand the point, but if a petition gets 250 signatures or more the Government has undertaken to give an official response. In many cases that might just be a fairly dismissive statement, but at least it's something.

They do, after all, have an Open Source policy, so it's not as though this would fall on entirely deaf ears. Nothing wrong with adding to the momentum behind F/OSS.

I understand your point too - but I would not be able to answer and then leave the thread open.

Let's just say I am somewhat cynical with regard to policy :)

I just don't think that an online petition in this case would make any difference to the outcome.

[t0p]

I signed, but I don't know why I bothered. If I could unsign, maybe I would.

It would be nice if the government were to seriously consider Free or open source solutions. But it ain't gonna happen (http://news.cnet.com/Lawmaker-blasts-U.K.-government-on-Microsoft-policy/2100-1012_3-6212721.html).

[melat0nin]

I signed, but I don't know why I bothered. If I could unsign, maybe I would.

It would be nice if the government were to seriously consider Free or open source solutions. But it ain't gonna happen (http://news.cnet.com/Lawmaker-blasts-U.K.-government-on-Microsoft-policy/2100-1012_3-6212721.html).

I haven't read that article in full, but I did see the date of it and to be fair, the UK has updated its F/OSS policy since then (http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/cio/transformational_government/open_source.aspx - tho note the file extension lol). Whether anything will come of its more 'open' bias remains to be seen.

I'm trying to do my bit in my organisation by implementing lots of open source stuff on the website, and the idea is getting through, but we're a tiny NDPB (Non-Departmental Public Body) and quite independent from central government, so the chances of the message getting through properly are pretty slim. We have to keep plugging though!

[t0p]

http://ubuntuforums.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=133217&stc=1&d=1256594332


Look at 'em! They lurve each other!

[speedwell68]

I signed, but I don't know why I bothered. If I could unsign, maybe I would.

It would be nice if the government were to seriously consider Free or open source solutions. But it ain't gonna happen (http://news.cnet.com/Lawmaker-blasts-U.K.-government-on-Microsoft-policy/2100-1012_3-6212721.html).

That article is two years out of date. Try this one...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7910110.stm

[Viva]

Just vote for the the conservatives (http://www.osor.eu/news/uk-conservatives-urge-government-to-increase-use-of-open-source):D

[Frak]

Just like the US government:

Unless you're a Defence Department, it ain't gonna happen.