[ILUG] email sent to potiticians about Mary Hannafin's decision notto use open source

[Enda]

James McCarthy  wrote:

> I believe Mary Hannafin's report is very flawed, there are a number of
> very large holes in her arguments.The government is making the same
> mistakes on avoiding the use of open source as it made with electonic
> voting.
> And it will result in serious economic & technical difficulties in the
> near future.

Clearly we need to bring this to the attention of the marketing departments
of the linux vendors, and ask each to formulate a single marketing document
that DOESNT slate Microsoft in any way shape or form, but highlights the
open standards used in linux, and the forms of interoperability that their
distribution has with the windows environment. Most have the later, but not
the former.

With that in hand, it is easy to go to a politician / press, and not sound
like a ranting religious advocate nut that you'll be made out to be if you
go in "unarmed". Besides, if in the face of the facts, the gov decide to
tell a different story, these guys do have the reputation and the money to
protect that reputation and will take them to task on it very quickly.

They've also got some very nice TCO case studies that can drive the point
home if you get it considered in the first place.

 -Enda.