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650 Comments
- mabl, on 01/22/2009, -19/+926Open Government and Open Source - sounds like a dream team to me!
- inactive, on 01/22/2009, -19/+351I really like this guy (President Obama), he jumps right out of the starting gate (instead of taking a 9-month vacation) and gets right to the task of taking names and kicking asses! He's like the Tiger Woods (sorry for the stupid analogy) of USA Presidents! ... well so far so good I think.
- IHaveIssues, on 01/22/2009, -9/+320Microsoft must be ***** bricks.
- thecheatah, on 01/22/2009, -24/+298"While I agree with those benefits, I'm not a supporter of mandates. I wouldn't want the government mandating Microsoft software--why would I therefore seek an open-source mandate?"
Open source isnt a brand. Its the lack of a brand. There is a big difference here. MS can control who and what can interact with their product. Opensource cannot do that.
Open source isnt the "opposite" of MS. Its as "opposite" to MS as it is to Apple. - Cglass, on 01/22/2009, -15/+271Is it gay to say I think I'm in love with a man, even if that man is our President?
- xMothmanx, on 01/22/2009, -1/+206Obuntu has a better ring to it.
- inactive, on 01/22/2009, -2/+180This is almost too good. Should I be afraid?
- Homerr, on 01/22/2009, -11/+177Obamuntu
- psYcon, on 01/22/2009, -3/+151it already shat on 5000 employees
- kd420, on 01/22/2009, -1/+134I think that a department/agency etc. must justify why they are buying proprietary software before they are allowed to purchase it. If you are building a bridge you are required to find the contractor with the lowest price, which meets all safety and quality requirements. Open source won't always be feasible or the best choice, but I refuse to believe that some secretary typing emails (and simple computer tasks like that) needs hundreds of dollars worth of software when there are equal, if not better options available. The reason the same sort of accountability hasn't been implemented is because of the TCO myth and heavy pressure from MS. Stop unnecessarily spending tax dollars when there are better options.
- specialK16, on 01/22/2009, -4/+133Yeah, wtf is happening!!??
- JeddHampton, on 01/22/2009, -4/+132Why can't a heterosexual guy tell a heterosexual guy that he thinks his booty's fly?
- psYcon, on 01/22/2009, -2/+128you betcha
- wunksta, on 01/22/2009, -4/+128wow, this is refreshing
- rightbrainnow, on 01/22/2009, -2/+124Im no software genius, but im glad he's asking.
- loconet, on 01/22/2009, -2/+116Let me get this straight.
He orders the closure of Guantanamo, stops bribing of cabinet officials, looks into Open Source, and likes Shakira's hips^H^H^H^Hmusic as well?
Thank you USA. - Stevo23, on 01/22/2009, -2/+115"Obama" + "Open Source" = Magic incantation to automatically reach Digg frontpage.
- tattertech, on 01/22/2009, -10/+96But mandating open source isn't the answer, it's fully possible MS has a better product than any open source standards - should the government NOT be allowed to use the MS solution then?
- danwallace, on 01/22/2009, -1/+86He's like the Jimi Hendrix of black people.
- groo68, on 01/22/2009, -3/+80You should mistrust the government and question it if it does anything suspicious. You should support and aide the government in the issues you support, but you should always hold an air of mistrust so nothing like Nixon happens again, and never become apathetic so that nothing like bush happens again.
- inactive, on 01/22/2009, -3/+79yes, lol
- slicecom, on 01/22/2009, -2/+70I'm beginning to think he might actually follow through and make some change.
- Llanowar, on 01/22/2009, -3/+69It's not gay if the balls don't touch.
- analogkid01, on 01/22/2009, -2/+62It is not gay, however, if you put a wig on him and pretend he's a woman. Ask David Bowie.
- questro, on 01/22/2009, -5/+58If not open source, at least PLEASE use open formats for data storage and retention. OpenDocument Format (ODF) is a great starting point! Imagine text documents, spreadsheets and presentations stored in an accessible format for ALL of us!
http://www.documentfreedom.org/
http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/tc_home.php?w ...
http://www.odfalliance.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenDocument - xMothmanx, on 01/22/2009, -0/+52And its only been what? A couple days?
- fknrat, on 01/22/2009, -0/+48I'm glad he's at least entertaining the idea and encouraging dialogue about open source alternatives - if people can make a convincing argument for it, he's willing to listen.
- patburke1980, on 01/22/2009, -3/+49Questioning current systems, looking at alternative solutions and asking questions = good.
Obama you're my boy! - cubicledrone, on 01/22/2009, -0/+43It will be very interesting to see the reaction on the Interwebz if the President of the United States mentions Linux in a press conference or major address.
- Aslan72, on 01/22/2009, -2/+45When do we wake up and get told this all a dream?
- lendrick, on 01/22/2009, -1/+43But if you *do* mandate, you'll end up with situations where proprietary software would be clearly better for productivity (and thus ultimately cheaper in terms of total dollars), but you're unable to use it because an open source alternative exists.
I myself am a big supporter of Open Source and Free Software (I'm using it right now because it's vastly superior for the work that I do), but you can't let idealism get in the way of reality.
Conversely, I think it may be a good idea to require or at least strongly recommend that government agencies provide a cost-benefit analysis for whatever software they happen to choose, as well as some available alternatives. If a piece of proprietary software costs $1000 a year to license but brings in $100,000 worth of productivity improvements over all the FOSS alternatives, there's no excuse *not* to be using that software. Likewise, if some proprietary software package costs $100,000 a year and only provides a $1000 improvement in productivity, then it would be just as clear a choice in favor of the FOSS software.
We don't want to force one particular choice on people; if we're going to force anything, we ought to be forcing solid analysis of choices. - thisissayantan, on 01/22/2009, -1/+40Because programmers have nothing to hide.
- EarlOfLade, on 01/22/2009, -0/+36Just wait until Microsoft delivers Winlux under GPL with the ability to seamlessly run both native Windows apps and GTK/Qt based apps.
If government mandates open source, MS will be the first to knock down the government doors with their own GPL software. - JasonAdams13, on 01/22/2009, -1/+34I'm pretty sure Denzel is the Denzel Washington of Hollywood.
- inactive, on 01/22/2009, -4/+36Nope, that's next year. It's ALWAYS next year...
- Ljay90, on 01/22/2009, -2/+33To anyone who follows golf, that's far from a stupid analogy.
Tiger *works* at his craft, daily. He doesn't rest. Even when his knee was destroyed he practiced, played, and won. The man is a workaholic.
So yeah, you actually made a good analogy.
</golf nerd> - loconet, on 01/22/2009, -0/+31Let me guess, you voted republican?
bitter bitter. - waspbr, on 01/22/2009, -1/+32I am not sure if this is the jurisdiction of the president but it would save a ton of money to have the school system use open source software. Provided it is, then I hope he considers it.
- clickmyface, on 01/22/2009, -0/+30120hz
- orville1151, on 01/22/2009, -4/+34Could you imagine trying to discuss something like open source software with Bush?
I tell you, it's really nice having a president smarter than a "Bush". Yuck, yuck.
Or for that matter, smarter than most Americans. - StreetPreacher, on 01/22/2009, -2/+31We finally elected someone who "gets it." That's what's happening.
- r3bol, on 01/22/2009, -1/+30Benefit: Recession proof.
Benefit: Every person in the world can have a piece of it. - inactive, on 01/22/2009, -1/+29FreeBHO
- inactive, on 01/22/2009, -1/+29My question is WHY is he asking... I mean... there's actually a president that KNOWS the term "open source "? That's incredible.
- wolfeater2, on 01/22/2009, -0/+28Wrong.
http://bash.org/?870274 - phoi, on 01/22/2009, -1/+29I'm not terribly educated on the issue, but I would assume such a change would end up saving millions at least, and would hope that they'd do it as soon as they could. Interesting, if brief, article.
- raydeen, on 01/22/2009, -6/+33The year of desktop Linux is happening. Right?
- yacks, on 01/22/2009, -4/+31Please explain how Open Source Code can be exploited by malevolent nations or entities?
Last time, I checked Microsoft, closed source code, was being exploited by malevolent entities.. ie virus and spyware.
As it stands right now, the only way to exploited a lot of Open Source is through trojans or through security holes,which can be exploited on any operating system. The difference is that with Open Source, you can open up the source yourself and plug the hole, given you have computer programming knowledge which I bet the Gov't has.
But as for mandating, I'll pass.. Implementing widescale, perhaps. - megamod, on 01/22/2009, -6/+32cuz he's black? jk =P
- Aitese, on 01/22/2009, -3/+29This isn't about business use...this is about government and public facility use. Libraries and schools shouldn't have to fork out for expensive proprietary OS's unless they WANT to. If you run a private school the governments systems don't affect you.
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