Re: [Gnumed-devel] Bribes a potential threat to Open Source?

[Sebastian Hilbert]

On Friday 26 November 2004 09:18, J Busser wrote:
> At 7:14 AM +0100 11/26/04, Sebastian Hilbert wrote:
> >On Friday 26 November 2004 03:28, J Busser wrote:
> >>  Have people seen this?
> >>
> >>  http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/11/24/microsoft_makes_millionaire/
> >
> >IMHO FOSS can never be stopped from spreading. This is because it lives by
> > the idea and does not depend on companies promoting it. It's you and me
> > who make FOSS what it is because we use it and we give back. Who cares
> > about some trade agency. It lives in *my* PC and helps *me* to the job
> > done. What more could I wish for ?
>
> I see it as an indirect threat, i.e. it will not change the *minds*
> of those who embrace open source but it can affect what these people
> are forced to use if they wish to connect. In health care there
> typically exist vendor associations, and these can easily take a
> stance that the government should make (for example) Windows IE the
> required browser, Windows the required OS etc.
such a thing will never happen. they may officially tell you to use this or 
that but they won't be able to stop me from using something else. They might 
come up with stuff that's incompatible with FOSS but I could exercise might 
right within a court if I wish. You are right about watching matters closely 
but being proactive it a job of its own. 
> Such has happened in 
> the province next to mine (thought I don't know, in that particular
> case, if it is what the government had decided on its own).
It will happen agian but in the end FOSS/common sense will succeed just as 
GNU/Linux became what it is without the big guys.
>
> I do think it important to be proactive to keep the "playing field"
> as broad as possible.
Absolutely
> For example, as my local health region was 
> deciding on a standard on which to build their clinical portal (so
> that community GPs will be able to access results of tests done
> during an inpatient stay), it was possible that they might develop
> only for Internet Explorer 
shit happens I guess.
> but they were quite receptive to some of 
> us asking that Firefox be included on the basis of its better
> cross-platform availability (setting aside arguments on IE
> vulnerability, Firefox being FOSS etc).
See, that's exactly what I mean. They did not choose FOSS but they listened to 
you because you told them that more people would benefit from that effort if 
they designed for Firefox. What if Firefox was an truly inferior browser. 
Would it still make sense to demand the use of it if it was an inferior 
solution ?
-- 
Sebastian Hilbert 
Leipzig / Germany
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