Re: Proposed Letter Text to Decision-makers

Just a few more. 

On Thu, Jan 02, 2003 at 02:19:13PM -0600, Jan C. Depner wrote:
> Looks good.  A very few comments inserted.
> 
> 
> On Thu, 2003-01-02 at 13:47, 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.
> > 
> > DRAFT
> > 
> > I'm writing this letter to you to forecast a few things that relate to
> > software usage in Government:
> > 
> > 2003 will be the year that Open Source software will start to make
> > increasing headway into Government.  The usability, stability and
> > explosion of top-notch, free(!) software is going to be looked at
> > seriously.
> > 
> > Here are some of the programs which are on the near horizon or
> > currently available:
> > 
> > Kroupware  - www.kroupware.org -
> > 
> > The Government of Germany has commissioned an open-source version of
> > Microsoft's Exchange Server called Kroupware.  It is designed to have
> > all the functionality of Microsoft's Exchange Server.  Version 1.0 is
> > in beta testing and should be completed soon.  This means that the
> > software that provides email, calendaring and contacts will be
> > available for download at no cost.
> > 
> > I understand that Microsoft Outlook Clients will be able to connect to
> > Kroupware as well open source clients and web browsers...
> > 
> > Mozilla - www.mozilla.org -
> > 
> > The Mozilla web browser.  It has features that Microsoft's Internet
> > Explorer does not have, such as the ability to stop those annoying
> > pop-up windows.  You can also open multiple windows inside a single
> > browser window using the tab function.  Mozilla has a full featured
> > Mail, Chat and News client built in.  Mozilla runs on just about every
> > operating system including Windows and Linux.  It is FULLY standards
> > compliant (unlike Internet Explorer).

What about Konqueror? It is looking pretty good and stable in KDE3.
Actually, I would suggest the whole KDE desktop as a talking point
because it offers something close to a seamless GUI that will feel
relatively comfortable for a Windoze user.

> > Linux - www.linux.org - 

Do you think linux.org is the best place to point a non-technical
person? I admit I haven't looked at it very much since we got "divorced"
years ago but it doesn't seem very manager-friendly. But, I am not sure
what does. 

> > 2003 will bring Linux in from the server rooms and out to the desktop. 
> > Redhat - www.redhat.com - and SuSE - www.suse.com - (to name a couple
> > of major vendors) have released versions 8.x of their software.  It is
> > still not quite as user-friendly as Windows, but with the Kroupware
> > Client, Mozilla and now OpenOffice [See Below] there is very little you
> > can do in Windows that you can't do in Linux.  Most importantly, Linux
> > is very stable.  It comes with a superior, journaling file system and
> > it is completely configurable.  I have been using Linux servers for
> > over two years now and have had very few problems.  They just go and
> > go...
> > 
> 
> 	Since this is geared toward non-technical people you should explain
> journaling file systems and point out that Microsoft is planning on
> implementing one - in 2005.

This is a really good point. There are probably some more "Linux has it
and someday Microsoft will too" items worth putting in here. This has
the advantage of showing that Linux isn't really different, it is just
more advanced.

> > I use Linux on the desktop here and at home and I am amazed at it's
> > versatility and stability. [Insert your own testimony here - ED.]
> > 
> > OpenOffice - www.OpenOffice.org - 
> > 
> > Open Office ver 1.x is out.  It has very good compatibility opening and
> > saving Microsoft Word documents (it's not 100% perfect and doesn't do
> > macros).  Most importantly, you can create documents directly in HTML
> > which means that ANY web browser can open them.  OpenOffice matches
> > just about every feature of Microsoft Office except Access.  To date,
> > there is really no equivalent to Access although Sun Microsystems sells
> > a database with its version of OpenOffice called StarOffice -
> > www.sun.com -.  Open Office is a good place to start looking at open
> > source software.  Download and install it on your current machine at
> > see for yourself - it runs on Windows as well as Linux (the Mac version
> > is in beta testing).
> > 
> 
> 	Shouldn't that be Excel macros?  Also, "Download and install it on your
> current machine [at] and see for yourself"
> 
> 
> > MySQL - www.mysql.com -
> > 
> > Speaking of databases, MySQL is becoming seriously mature.  It is not
> > as industrial strength as Oracle, DB2 or SQLServer, but the new
> > features that are in version 4.x allow it to do many of the things the
> > big, expensive databases do.  I have even been able to connect Oracle
> > Forms to MySQL (for example) though an ODBC connection and it works
> > just fine.  Set up correctly and backed up properly, this screamingly
> > fast little database is becoming more and more valuable.
> > 
> > Apache - www.apache.org
> > Apache is a web server (like Microsoft's Internet Information Server
> > IIS) which actually rules the web.  It is being used to back-end more
> > than 60% of all web sites.  Combined with MySQL and the PHP language,
> > your web-site can inform, not to mention capture and dispense data
> > using completely open source software.
> > 
> > Samba - www.samba.org -
> > Lastly, in the background of the network is Samba.  Version 3.0 is
> > coming out soon.  Samba is the glue that securely links computers and
> > users together in the office network.  Version 3.0 will have the
> > complete functionality of a Windows2000 Domain Controller.  In other
> > words, it will be able to handle all the user accounts, file serving,
> > printers and authentication that Windows2000 currently does.  This free
> > software is being developed and supported by IBM and eliminates the
> > need to purchase expensive Windows2000 Server licenses.  It runs on
> > Linux servers.  Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, XP and Linux clients connect
> > to it as though it were a Windows Server.  
> > 
> > I'm using Samba version 2.x here in our offices and it has been running
> > smoothly for months without re-booting. [Insert your own testimony here
> > - ED.]
> > 
> > The thing about all of the above is that most people use computers to
> > create documents and send them to each other.  A few store or retrieve
> > data.  90% of people use 10% of most software's features.  My question
> > is, why spend vast sums of money on licensing software that most people
> > hardly use when free versions exist?  
> > 
> > The answer is two-fold: the first aspect is familiarity.  The second is
> > the cost of change.  Making the jump will take education, time and
> > money, but once it's made, the returns will pay for themselves in short
> > order and improvements in ease-of-use and functionality will make
> > everyone wonder about what they used before...
> > 
> > Currently, governments such as Peru, Germany, France, England, the
> > State of California and the Feds in the U.S. have either mandated or
> > are looking to mandate the use of open source software.  China has even
> > created it's own Linux-based Open Source operating system called Red
> > Flag - www.redflag-linux.com.
And a CPU chip to run it on. :-)
> > 
> 
> 	Don't use Feds.  Slang.
> 
> 
> > Because there are no licensing restrictions, having open-source
> > software means you can legally tailor all of the above to suit your
> > specific needs and offer it for download or make copies and distribute
> > them to anyone.  Take for example, schools.  Teachers can legally give
> > copies to every student.  Less advantaged children would only need to
> > purchase a machine, not the software that comes with it.  
> 
> 	Linux will run on older hardware that is a fraction of the cost of
> newer systems.  New versions of Windows will not run on most older
> hardware.

Worth pointing out that Open Source solutions do not lock you in to
future costly upgrades. Also, that bug fixes (for example, security
fixes) are available very quickly from the Internet.

> > Your constituents, customers and suppliers  could all receive or
> > download copies on request.  Because the source code is available,
> > there is nothing 'hidden' about how the software works - meaning that
> > it is fully compliant with any freedom of information requests too.
> > 
> > You might wonder how companies like RedHat and SuSE make money.  They
> > do it by providing support.  They also build tailor-made solutions. 
> > RedHat, for example, makes an industrial strength version specifically
> > to optimally run Oracle.
> > 
> > I wrote this because I'm on a mission to inform Government of stable,
> > secure, free choices available out there.
> > 
> > I hope to impress upon you that choices are opening up.  There is an
> > ability to make sound business decisions which engender additional
> > opportunities:  access to information, free distribution, software
> > re-design (for example) while at the same time saving taxpayer's money.
> > 
> > There is one last factor:  think of all the programmers the world over.
> >  Imagine if some of their time was devoted to improving the above
> > 'products'.  Well, that is already a reality.  People the world over
> > are contributing to this vast body of software.  It is constantly being
> > improved, updated and documented. This is the new software paradigm.  I
> > hope that my message today makes you to take a second look!
> > 
> > ______________________________________________________________________ 
> > Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca
> > 
> > This Linux in Government list is sponsored by Linux Journal.
> 
> 
> This Linux in Government list is sponsored by Linux Journal.

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