From: Mustafa Akgul (akgul@Bilkent.EDU.TR)
Date: Fri 07 Nov 2003 - 03:27:57 EST
From: Steven Clift <clift@publicus.net>
Subject: [DW] News - Open Source in Government
*** Democracies Online Newswire - http://e-democracy.org/do ***
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If you are a techie who works in government, non-profits, etc. and
are interested in trading notes on these issues (pro/con open source
welcome), send an e-mail to: do-code-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Also see:
The Center of Open Source & Government
http://www.egovos.org
eTen proposal "Virtual City Hall", City of Hagen
http://www.telecities.org/details/project_detail.asp?projectID=P00102
Open Source Software in Government
http://www.oss.gov.za/
GovernmentForge
http://governmentforge.org/
http://governmentforge.org/mt/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/governmentforge
Open source software: briefing to the Minister of State Serv. - March
2003
http://www.e-government.govt.nz/docs/open-source-200303/
July 2002, UK Government published a new policy on the use of Open
Source
http://www.ogc.gov.uk/index.asp?id=2190
More articles:
http://news.google.com/news?q=open+source+government
3 articles below.
Steven Clift
Democracies Online Newswire
http://www.e-democracy.org/do
P.S. If you are aware of any e-participation/e-consultation/e-
democracy related technology projects in government, please let me
know. Because
e-democracy often lacks the cost-saving argument, my sense is that
most government technology enhancements in this area will be on the
cheap. Imagine if governments shared the costs of developing a
shared online consultation platform, or parliaments a system for
online committee hearings, etc..
From:
http://www.washingtontechnology.com/news/18_15/statelocal/22000-
1.html
10/27/03; Vol. 18 No. 15
Open source riles software makers
By WILLIAM WELSH
Massachusetts ignites furor with new strategy
A decision by the state of Massachusetts to shift to open-computing
standards and consider open-source software as part of that strategy
has many software companies concerned about their future business
with the state.
While open standards are on their way to becoming part of a
mainstream government technology, the mere mention that a state would
use open-source software has the industry in an uproar.
Massachusetts will focus initially on open standards to increase
interoperability of systems, upgrade legacy systems and cut costs
before considering open-source software or systems, said Eric Kriss,
Massachusetts' administration and finance secretary.
"We want to put more focus on thinking about where open-source
products can fill some of our needs. That does not mean we are
kicking out proprietary products," Kriss told Washington Technology.
...
From:
http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS7678767201.html
OSSI releases components to eGovernment web wervices platform
Nov. 06, 2003
The Open Source Software Institute (OSSI) announced the release and
availability of the first phase of Project Leopard, the core
component of its eGovernment web services platform based on LAMP
(Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP/Perl/Python). LAMP serves as a foundation
upon which powerful and scalable web-based programs can be developed
and implemented in an open-source environment.
OSSI also announced the formation of the Open Government
Interoperability Standard (OGIS) working group. The OGI Standard will
serve as the policy guideline for modules and applications developed
using the Leopard program Working group members include
representatives from government, academic and corporate sectors.
"Our mission is to promote open-source solutions within the
government and schools," said OSSI director John Weathersby. "We've
found that state and local government agencies are searching for
applications that are affordable, manageable, scalable and provide
interoperability. LAMP applications meet these needs and Leopard
makes it easy, fast and cost effective."
...
See:
http://www.oss-institute.org/
http://oss-institute.org/pressrelease/leopardpr1.html
http://leopard.sourceforge.net/
From:
http://www.wired.com/news/ebiz/0,1272,61045,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1
Talk:
http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/03/11/03/182226.shtml?tid=126&tid=172
Aussies Do It Right: E-Voting
By Kim Zetter | Also by this reporter Page 1 of 2 next »
02:00 AM Nov. 03, 2003 PT
While critics in the United States grow more concerned each day about
the insecurity of electronic voting machines, Australians designed a
system two years ago that addressed and eased most of those concerns:
They chose to make the software running their system completely open
to public scrutiny.
Although a private Australian company designed the system, it was
based on specifications set by independent election officials, who
posted the code on the Internet for all to see and evaluate. What's
more, it was accomplished from concept to product in six months. It
went through a trial run in a state election in 2001.
Critics say the development process is a model for how electronic
voting machines should be made in the United States.
Called eVACS, or Electronic Voting and Counting System, the system
was created by a company called Software Improvements to run on
Linux, an open-source operating system available on the Internet.
Election officials in the Australian Capital Territory, one of eight
states and territories in the country, turned to electronic voting
for the same reason the United States did -- a close election in 1998
exposed errors in the state's hand-counting system. Two candidates
were separated by only three or four votes, said Phillip Green,
electoral commissioner for the territory. After recounting, officials
discovered that out of 80,000 ballots, they had made about 100
mistakes. They decided to investigate other voting methods.
In 1999, the Australian Capital Territory Electoral Commission put
out a public call for e-vote proposals to see if an electronic option
was viable. Over 15 proposals came in, but only one offered an open-
source solution. Two companies proposed the plan in partnership after
extensive consultation with academics at Australian National
University. But one of the companies later dropped out of the
project, leaving Software Improvements to build the system.
...
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Minneapolis - - - E: clift@publicus.net
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