Monday, March 20, 2017

when is free software not free

We all have the luxury of using various open source and free software products.  I'm a huge user of PostgreSQL, MySQL, various os/x utilities, etc.  I recently started a gig at a government site and have found they have a strange, but understandable, relation to open source software.

I was trying to get them to use a Wiki type product instead of  Microsoft's SharePoint.  At the same time we were considering moving some databases to Cassandra.  In both cases, the requests went through the rather lengthy approval process only to come back rejected.

Why?  Because in the government you cannot use or install any open source product unless you have engaged a vendor to support you.  Supposedly it's the law.   Go figure.

Of course this almost defeats the purpose of open source software, but then if you look at it from the point-of-view of the vendors who make all their money from the government it makes perfect sense.  They have pressured someone to get this enacted to give them a steady stream of income.  Forget that it may make no sense, it is the rule and so without a contract, without a billing vehicle, and without a vendor there's tons of software we cannot use.  It really ties the hands of the government folks who want to do the right thing but are kept from doing so.

I love this job.

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