[OSGeo-Discuss] Re: Sign the Hague declaration

[Lester Caine]

P Kishor wrote:
> On 5/14/08, Michael P. Gerlek <mpg at lizardtech.com> wrote:
>> I'm not looking to start a debate, but...
> 
> you just did, and a good one at that.
> 
>>  >> 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".
> 
> indeed. As much as an open source advocate, proponent and practitioner
> I have, I see little positive effect that this declaration would have.
> In all likelihood, it would further brand us as zealots.

I tend to agree there. PROMOTE cooperation.

> I thought "us" or "them" went out the window a few years ago when we
> realized that working together is better.
> 
> "free and open digital standards" is all well and good but a
> meaningless concept. Standard for what?

But disagree there. Switching from M$ documents to 'real' open source 
documents and dropping licensed graphical data in favour of OSM and other free 
map data opens the door to 'Standardising' on something that we can all 
cooperate on. It 'somewhat annoys me' when I receive an M$ document from a 
council and am expected to edit and return it. They get back a PDF because I 
know that the format will be as I laid it out.

-- 
Lester Caine - G8HFL
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