[OSGeo-Discuss] Re: Sign the Hague declaration

[Benjamin Henrion]

Michael P. Gerlek <mpg at lizardtech.com> [080514]:
> I'm not looking to start a debate, but...
> 
> >> We call on all governments to:
> >>
> >>   1. Procure only information technology that implements free and
> open standards;
> >>   2. Deliver e-government services based exclusively on free and open
> standards;
> >>   3. Use only free and open digital standards in their own
> activities.
> >>
> 
> I'm certainly sympathetic to the desires this declaration seems to
> express, but this seems to go too far by using words like "only" and
> "exclusively".
> 
> There are undoubtedly cases where extant open standards are not as
> mature, stable, featureful, mission-safe, etc, as the relevant
> proprietary solutions, and so as a pragmatic matter governments must
> rely on the proprietary works in those cases.

And force its citizens to buy a copy of proprietary software, or to use
special software.

When it comes to contact with citizens, governments could exclude
participation of their own citizens just by using proprietary standards.

--
Benjamin Henrion <bhenrion at ffii.org>
FFII Brussels - +32-484-566109 - +32-2-4148403