Just to share with you: I've come across this fascinating presentation by an EU official in Vietnam, who argues that 'development' organisation in the First World should throw their weight behind Free/Libre and Open Source Software.

This is a fascinating set of arguments. So far, few in the 'development/NGO network' (apart from rare exceptions like Sunil Abraham of Mahiti.org in Bangalore and the Sarai network in Delhi, and the Dehradun-based publishers of 'Software Freedom') have appreciate the power of, or worked seriously on, FLOSS.

[Disclosure of interest: I have received a print-media fellowship from Sarai in the past year.]

Interestingly, this document is released under the terms and conditions of the GNU Free Documentation License. Surely a worthy read. I would encourage everyone interested in taking this debate forward to please persue it.

If you would like a copy, just send mail to fred@bytesforall.org with the subjectline FLOSS-PRESENTATION. Thank you. FN

PS: My apologies for reducing very interesting arguments to a few bytes of poorly-represented text. My limited abilities did not allow me to convert the speaker notes, words he used and graphics into extracts in text suitably. The presentation does a better job of that.

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FREE/LIBRE OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE AS OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT AID

Jordi Carrasco-Mu�oz EC Delegation to Vietnam jordi@bigfoot.com jordi.carrasco-munoz@delvnm.cec.eu.int _________________

Disclaimer: - The text represents the author's opinions only - Text released under GNU Free Documentation License - Request copies to the author - FORTHCOMING: Global Implementation Plan

Developing countries can neither miss the benefits of the IT revolution, nor afford its cost (IPRs in particular)

Donors and multilaterals have a responsibility to provide an alternative, if available

FLOSS is today the only alternative available

PROPOSAL

ODA-FLOSS will be implemented. Why?

The question is: Who will be the first to do it? I.T. REVOLUTION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

IT is today's Industrial Revolution Ability to leapfrog into latest technology Complement Industrial Development Small IT clusters, even in remote areas...

Quotes:

"Cost Windows XP + MS Office: Standard Version $560. Professional Version $800. a) COST (for a country like) VIETNAM (where the GDP per capita $440/year) XP+Office = 1 Year 3 months. XP+Office (Pro) = 1 Year 10 months. a) COST (III) Cost-Equivalent for the US (GDP per capita $30,200/Year). XP+Office = $38,436 XP+Office (Pro) = $54,909. (Is it very surprising that the) percentage of pirated Software in Vietnam (is) 97%" Source of information: Amazon.com (13 May 2002)

"Microsoft 2000 localised in 24 languages. There are 8,500 languages in the world.... Open Office can be localised in 2 weeks."

"Like science, FLOSS builds as a community, on top of past work."

"No backdoors + No spyware."

"All software (on a sponsored distro) must be Free/Libre as defined by the Free Software Foundation.... All applications must be fully localised and documented... Include Open Office. Why? ... The first version must be Windows-based. Why?"

"Pareto's 80/20 Rule applied to software -- (20% of applications solve 80% of needs). Substitutes a key application. Example for users that Open Source works. Other candidates: Mozilla, MySQL, Gimp, ... (suggestions welcome) Why a Windows FLOSS CD-ROM? MS Windows is the way towards a full FLOSS system (for private users).... Microsoft Windows runs on 94% of desktops. Private users cannot be forced into FLOSS. We must earn their trust in FLOSS."

"Cost of a FLOSS CD-Rom: (quotation: www.goldenrom.com). 10.000 Copies - $4,600 50,000 Copies - $17,500 100,000 Copies - $32,000 500,000 Copies - $135,000 1,000,000 Copies - $250,000. Cost of ODA-FLOSS CD-Rom for one-fourth of 'pirate' computers."

"Recycling legislation: Cheaper shipping PCs to developing countries than recycling them (also tax deductible). Donated PCs tend to be stripped of parts, software or licenses, using a FLOSS OS is an obvious choice."

"India (Simputer), Brazil, etc... are creating low-cost computers targeted to low-income communities"