Re: [Fsfe-uk] Something to Digg

[MJ Ray]

graham <address@hidden> wrote:
> And of course the full version on theyworkforyou:
> http://www.theyworkforyou.com/whall/?id=2007-10-09a.46.0

Earlier in that page:

  "The National Archive has released its file format identification
  system, which is called DROID, based on an open source licence, and
  that has been downloaded 1,600 times in the past year."

That'll be DROID, http://droid.sourceforge.net/ under a BSD licence,
but whose installation says "Use of the Sun JRE is recommended, which
is freely available to download here" (Will Sun JRE ever be GPL?)
While open source itself, it lures users into the Java Trap.  Not
really a whole-hearted free software endorsement, is it?

But mainly, I'm disappointed by the "challenge to open source
providers to work with IT services firms" which is brain-dead and
backwards.  gov.uk needs to challenge their IT service firms to work
with free software providers, or get new IT service firms who will!

BTW, just tried to contact John Pugh MP to see if he'd be at
http://www.parliamentandinternet.org.uk/ but
http://www.johnpughmp.com/component/option,com_contact/Itemid,3/task,view/contact_id,2/
requires JavaScript and then replies to me "You are not authorised to
view this resource."

Regards,
-- 
MJ Ray http://mjr.towers.org.uk/email.html tel:+44-844-4437-237 -
Webmaster-developer, statistician, sysadmin, online shop builder,
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