[HLUG] Letter to MP's

[Chris Owens]

  Hi Pete

     I think this is really good, content excellent, might benefit from 
shortening a bit, particularly between 'Where large numbers ....depth by 
actual experts. I have found bulleted sectors are quite good for this 
kind of recipient and is it worth including the point Mark made about 
the security aspect having the nation's functionality entirely beholden 
to the US. I don't think many people realise this, and even fewer the 
significance of it - remote though it may be it is profoundly naive to 
think that such a weakness could not be exploited at some stage.

      By the way I thought the Open Day was excellent and well worth the 
trip - I enjoyed it. Good cordial welcome, general atmosphere 
professional, tidy displays, excellent lecture, relevant, informative 
and well delivered. Just two suggestions if they will help, one easy to 
fix the other less so.

     1. Have each of the contributions obviously concentrating on one 
subject say, Games, Office suites, Security, a couple of Distros 
whatever with clear labelling as to what the stand is offering.

     2. Encourage stand holders to stay on their pitch for once they 
have gone (which I have done many times in the past) to the average 
passer the display becomes just like a counter in John Lewis or PC World 
- kind of dead, they don't like to fiddle and don't know where 
necessarily to find the stand owner.

     Hope this helps.

Chris

On 03/04/11 13:09, info at lifespacedesign.co.uk wrote:
>   
> Hi Gang,
>   
> Here is a draft of a letter to our MPs in response to the cabinet office paper
> issued last week; on Document Freedom Day !
>   
> Comments and feedback invited.
>   
> Pete H@
>   
> BEGINS
> Dear Bill and Jesse,
>
> I am writing on behalf of Herefordshire Linux and Open Source User Group in
> response to the recently published Cabinet Office document "Government ICT
> Strategy"
>
> It is clear that the writer has correctly identified a number of issues in HMG's
> management of ICT which have lead to failure and waste in the past, not least
> amongst which is the failure to adopt Open Document Standards in all aspects of
> HMG electronic document handling. This has also been a major barrier to take up
> in many businesses and third sector bodies.
>
> At our recent Open Source Day in Hereford; which we regret you were unable to
> attend at this pivotal time; Dr. Mark Wright of Bristol City Council spoke in
> depth about problems caused to his administration by the use of proprietory and
> bespoke software at regional and national level, along with imposed legal
> obligations to use it.
> ( To see this address visit LINK)
>
> We therefore welcome unreservedly the stated objectives of
>
>    "Create a level playing field for open source software"
> and
>    "Impose compulsory open standards, starting with interoperability and
> security"
>
> However, in the body text on page 8 there are the weasel words "where
> appropriate" in the context of procurement of Open Source solutions. May I put
> to you that so far as I know no one in HMG has ever examined the question of
> where is it appropriate to use expensive, closed, proprietory software for the
> business of public administration. The DEFAULT position must be to use Free and
> Open Source applications.
>
> It is our view that these objectives can be met by one simple action.
>
>  From a given date ( say 12 months from now) ALL electronic documentation used in
> the public sector at all levels and for any purpose must comply with ISO Open
> Document Standards.
>
> This will force proprietory software manufacturers to develop simple plug-ins to
> enable Open Standards documents to be read and created on their applications and
> prevent the blocking of legacy versions of their own software.The compliance
> cost will be trivial, and roll out almost instant.
>
> This would then open the door for local authorities to have genuine choice in
> the selection of office applications, including Free/Libre and Open Source
> options, so saving many millions of pounds of taxpayers money across the UK. For
> writers of new bespoke applications unique to UK local and national government
> this would make no meaningful impact, and following the objective of a single
> national resource base for such applications this is a trivial additional
> effort.
>
> Where large numbers of citizens need to interact securely with a Government
> agency there is much that can be learned from successful online commerce and
> social media businesses who use a simple web based interface which is neutral to
> the user OS, and deploy robust and secure Open Source solutions at the back-end
> of their systems. Be aware however of the needs of those beyond the reach of
> true broadband services ( such as most of this County) for whom the "Cloud" is a
> distant dream.
>
> I suggest to you that rather than implement another civil service ( who got us
> where we are today?) study at unknown cost, the implementation of this simple
> proposal would bring the industry into line, bring about the majority of the
> stated policy objectives and leave a rump of genuine issues to be considered in
> suitable depth by actual experts.
>
> Finally may I take this opportunity to invite you to join us for International
> Software Freedom Day in Hereford on September 17th.
>
> Pete Linnell
> for HLUG
> hlug at hlugorg.uk
> ENDS
> --
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> Web:  http://www.herefordshire.lug.org.uk
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