[fsf-community-team] [project seed] San Fransisco adopts a new software policy

[Simon Bridge]

By iself, not quite on topic. I imagine this as a starting point for a
major awareness campaign.

RE:
http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2010/01/sf-mayor-city-can-save-money-with-open-source-software.ars

"The San Francisco Committee on Information Technology has published a 
new software evaluation policy that requires departments of the city 
government to consider open source software solutions alongside 
proprietary commercial offerings."

---------------

There is clearly a need to educate the city departments. Activists in
the San Fransisco area may take inspiration from the NZ "Public Sector
Remix Project" which resulted from a similar policy change here.

See summation:
http://passthesource.org.nz/2010/01/15/bringing-contestability-back-to-the-public-sector-desktop/


The NZ team has gained experience pitching free software in a
business-aware manner without compromising on principles. Though the
gnu/linux desktops they offered (Ubuntu and SLED) are not all we would
like, we have seen a significant increase in free software adoption in
some NZ government departments at a time when other departments are
experiencing trouble with their non-free "solutions".

Departments are starting to consider a "free software by preference"
policy internally.

Worth thinking about aye?