Re: Proposed Letter Text to Decision-makers

One important point ignored in this thread - that of file format. 
Free s/w file formats used by free s/w is transparent.  This is
(or should be) as important as ease of use (and other things) so far
s/w used by governments is concerned.  In fact, I consider that 
keeping government data in a transparent file format is more important 
than any other question.

Governments also have an obligation to ensure that their information 
is accessible to the public; (except of course, classified info), and 
when such information is in digital form, the governments should 
further ensure that the format in which the info is provided is 
accesible by the public without any further economic burden on them.

What use information, if the recipients have to shell out a pretty
packet to just read it?

Even in case of classified information, free s/w is better equipped to
ensure that it stays classified than any non-free s/w; but that is an
altogether different story.

Regards,
Mahesh T. Pai.

Sim Brigden wrote:
> The following is a letter I'm drafting.  I propose that it be sent 
> to non-technical decision-makers in Government.  I would very much 
> welcome your views on how to improve/refine it.
> 




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