FLOSS strategies & policies
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This presentation discusses strategies and policies for promoting free/libre and open source software (FLOSS) in research and education. It provides a brief history of FLOSS, outlines reasons to use and develop FLOSS, and describes perceived barriers to adoption. It also summarizes a study on FLOSS knowledge, perceptions and adoption in Flemish schools, which developed a conceptual model of acceptance factors. The presentation concludes with recommendations for FLOSS policies and strategies for institutional migrations to FLOSS.
![My proposal of VLIR-UOS software policy
(not approved yet)
➢
VLIR-UOS wants to encourage the use of Free Libre Open
Source Software (FLOSS) in the South partner institutions.
➢
VLIR-UOS will only support the implementation and
training of FLOSS, unless proprietary software is
demonstrated to be significantly superior and necessary for
the required tasks. Whenever VLIR-UOS funds are used
for proprietary software, reasons must be provided
(including a list of FLOSS alternatives considered) and
approved by [the ICT/OLL expert group or the VLIR-UOS
FLOSS Advisory Board].](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/floss-strategies-policies-questier-20191114b-191120163330/85/FLOSS-strategies-policies-72-320.jpg)
FLOSS strategies & policies
- 1. FLOSS Strategies and policies Prof. dr. Frederik Questier - Vrije Universiteit Brussel Presented at: Workshop “Policies and strategies on openness in research and education” Universidad San Ignacio De Loyola, Lima, Peru 15/11/19
- 2. This presentation can be found at http://questier.com http://www.slideshare.net/Frederik_Questier
- 3. In the beginning almost all software was... ➢ produced by academic & corporate researchers in collaboration ➢ shared with source code IBM “SHARE” user group (1955) Digital Equipment Computer Users' Society (DECUS, 1961) Source code: if encrypt(password) == encryptedpassword, then login=1, end Compiled code: 00100101110101001100110000111101100011000111000110101
- 4. … until Bill Gates wrote an Open Letter to Hobbyists: “Your sharing is stealing” (1976)
- 5. Monopoly abuse US justice department 1999: “Microsoft is a monopolist and it engaged in massive anticompetitive practices that harmed innovation and limited consumer choice”
- 6. 15 "The most fundamental way of helping other people, is to teach people how to do things better or how to better their lives. For people who use computers, this means sharing the recipes you use on your computer, in other words the programs you run."
- 7. 16 1986: Stallman defined “Free Software” The freedom to ➢ use ➢ study & change ➢ share ➢ share modified programs
- 8. Free Software Licenses ➢ The 4 freedoms are guaranteed and enforced by licenses ➢ Copyleft licenses ➢ protect the freedoms for everyone ➢ e.g. GNU GPL (General Public License) ➢ Permissive licenses ➢ include the freedom to deny the freedoms for others ➢ e.g BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution) →BSD code often in non-free closed source software (MS, Mac, ...)
- 10. 1998: “Open Source” sounds better than “Free Software”?
- 11. 20 Free software: idealism Open Source: pragmatism (almost identical) software categories together: Free Open Source Software (FOSS) Free Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) Spanish: “software libre y codigo abierto”
- 12. Software categories ➢ Anti-features are features that users don’t want, including: ➢ Copy-protection ➢ DRM = Digital Rights/Restrictions Management ➢ Data lock-in because of secret file formats ➢ Time-limit / Planned obsolescence ➢ Artificial limitations (e.g. limited RAM, HD and max 3 concurrent programs in MS Windows Vista Home) ➢ Advertisements ➢ Tracking / Spyware
- 14. 1991 comp sci student Usenet posting to the newsgroup "comp.os.minix.": “I'm doing a (free) operating system (just a hobby, won't be big and professional like gnu) for 386(486) AT clones.”
- 15. 13594 developers from >1300 companies have contributed to Linux kernel
- 16. 25 Linus Torvalds “Making Linux GPL'd was definitely the best thing I ever did.”
- 17. 26 “Open Source ... it's just a superior way of working together and generating code.” “Like science, Open Source allows people to build on a solid base of previous knowledge, without some silly hiding.” “you can obviously never do as well in a closed environment as you can with open scientific methods.” Linus Torvalds (2007-03-19). The Torvalds Transcript: Why I 'Absolutely Love' GPL Version 2.
- 18. "Congratulations, you're on the winning team. Linux has crossed the chasm to mainstream adoption." ➢ Jeffrey Hammond, principal analyst at Forrester Research, LinuxCon, 2010 “Linux has come to dominate almost every category of computing, with the exception of the desktop” ➢ Jim Zemlin, Linux Foundation Executive Director, 2011 “Linux is the benchmark of Quality” ➢ Coverity Report 2012
- 19. 100% of top 500 supercomputers run Linux
- 20. Android, a mobile version of Linux, has overall largest market share
- 21. Android
- 22. Top 20 of 301 Linux Distributions tracked by distrowatch.com
- 23. 33
- 24. FLOSS promoted by ➢ VLIR-UOS ➢ VLIRED ➢ DarkAIV, EsFacil, Esfacil Authority, Easybuild, ABCD… ➢ (Moodle, Dspace) ➢ UCI ➢ Nova Linux ➢ Cuba: Estrategia Maestra: Informatización 2016 ➢ “10. Priorizar el empleo del Software Libre”
- 25. Werken met portfolio's 04/10/05 | pag. 48 Why use FLOSS?
- 26. Good reasons to use FLOSS ➢ Stay in control ➢ Stay secure ➢ Avoid data lock in ➢ Avoid vendor lock in ➢ Interoperability ➢ Modularity ➢ Easy localization (including translation) and customization ➢ Most often cross platform ➢ Easier troubleshooting ➢ Sometimes better support ➢ Avoid license management and compliance issues ➢ Reduce costs ➢ Demanded when public funds are given
- 27. Good reasons to develop FLOSS ➢ No need to start from scratch ➢ Network effects ➢ Get contributions from others ➢ Steer future developments ➢ Possibility to involve students ➢ Business opportunities
- 28. Sometimes we really need to free ourselves from corporate brainwashing! Example: Don't use personal operating systems in multi-user environments W hy?
- 29. Esperenza Computer Classroom with software sponsored by Microsoft 1 computer per user?
- 30. One (library catalog) computer per user?
- 31. 87 Free yourselfFree yourself from dogmas!from dogmas!
- 33. (K12)LTSP Linux Terminal Server Project Networked classrooms Fat server runs the applications Thin clients visualize the applications need no hard disk can be 15 years old PC's
- 34. Regional example: Extremadura ➢ poorly developed region → economic revival ➢ based on FLOSS (customized GNU/LinEx) ➢ computer access for every student ➢ saved >18M € on initial 80,000 school computers ➢ total software cost: 1.08 Euro/PC/year ➢ bigger project ➢ stimuli for companies, centres for citizens ➢ economic revival -> European regional innovation award
- 36. Why are you not using (only) FLOSS?
- 37. Perceived barriers? ➢ Following the herd?
- 38. Perceived barriers? pre-installation of non-free software
- 39. Perceived barriers? ➢ Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt about ➢ features? ➢ quality? ➢ sustainability? ➢ support? ➢ requirement to participate in the community?
- 40. Perceived barriers? ➢ anti-competitive behaviour ➢ monopoly abuse ➢ secret formats ➢ secret protocols ➢ data and vendor lock-ins
- 41. Perceived barriers? ➢ transition costs ➢ limited in house expertise ➢ too much choice
- 42. When people can't judge the quality of something, they look at the price, because they expect price and quality to be correlated Perceived barriers?
- 43. Example You want to buy a good wine for the friend who invited you to her house in CountryX. Which wine do you buy? = 10 coinsԵայրեն = 10 coins = 20 coinsն = 10 coinsԵայրե = 30 coinsեն = 10 coinsԵայր
- 44. = 10 coinsԵայրեն = 10 coins = 20 coinsն = 10 coinsԵայրե = 30 coinsեն = 10 coinsԵայր What happens when the price changes? =Եայրեն = 10 coins 25 coins = 20 coinsն = 10 coinsԵայրե = 30 coinsեն = 10 coinsԵայր
- 45. 149
- 46. FLOSS community partipation/creation Cuban barriers & challenges? ➢ Internet connectivity limitations ➢ Embargo restrictions ➢ Local policies ➢ Autonomy versus local management ➢ License decisions? ➢ Spanish versus English? ➢ Culture & attitudes?
- 47. Research study FLOSS knowledge, perceptions and adoption in Flemish schools 2012, S. Froeliger, F. Questier
- 48. Context ➢ Belgian education is organized by communities ➢ Flanders: Flemish community / ministry of education ➢ Schools & teachers select software ➢ Government supports ➢ ICT coordinators ➢ FLOSS guide book ➢ Few FLOSS trainings ➢ Microsoft contract
- 49. 156 ➢ Free software in education. ➢ Published by Flemish ministry of education, under a free license.
- 50. Basis for conceptual model ➢ Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology ➢ Theory of Reasoned Action ➢ Technology Acceptance Model ➢ Motivational Model ➢ Theory of Planned Behaviour ➢ Combined TAM & TPB ➢ Model of PC Utilization ➢ Innovation Diffusion Theory ➢ Social Cognitive Theory ➢ Innovation diffusion Model
- 51. innovation diffusion model ➢ Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations (5th edition). New York, NY: Free Press
- 52. UTAUT model
- 54. Validated acceptance model for Free Software in (Flemish) schools
- 55. Do you think it is desirable to use FLOSS in education?
- 56. Which free software do you use at school?
- 57. Which free/non-free software do you use at school?
- 58. What is your motivation to use Free Software?
- 59. What is holding back the adoption of FLOSS in your school?
- 60. 169 Conclusions of the study ➢ FLOSS is being used, but not as a routine ➢ Lack of knowledge ➢ Misconceptions ➢ (Perceived) barriers ➢ Support needed!
- 61. 170 Recommendations of the study ➢ For (teacher education) schools ➢ Develop FLOSS vision, plan, expertise ➢ Teach students how to share ➢ For government and managing structures ➢ Give central role to ICT-coordinators ➢ Create an expertise network ➢ Improve FLOSS information ➢ Define a FLOSS policy
- 62. 171 Strategies for institutional FLOSS migrations
- 63. 172 0. Allow innovators & early adopters to use FLOSS ➢ Replace any institutional software incompatible with FLOSS.
- 64. 173 1. Organize yourself ➢ Institutional FLOSS expertise center? ➢ Interuniversity FLOSS expertise center? ➢ FLOSS user group? ➢ ...
- 65. 174 2. Create awareness ➢ Involve all stakeholders ➢ Including ➢ highest management ➢ teachers ➢ students
- 66. 175 3. Expertise & capacity building ➢ Resources for experimentation & innovation
- 67. 176 4. Provide support & sustainability ➢ Offer ➢ FLOSS repository ➢ local downloads of recommended FLOSS? ➢ Caveat: updates ➢ documentation ➢ training → certification
- 68. 5. Establish institutional FLOSS policies ➢ Purchasing policies ➢ FLOSS, except if no good alternative ➢ Ask ➢ argumentation ➢ which alternatives considered ➢ Build or buy? ➢ Open standards ➢ Open courseware ➢ Free & Open Licenses
- 69. When to migrate? ➢ Time transitions ➢ at the end of existing contracts ➢ at hardware / software upgrade times ➢ Consider migrating in phases 1. servers 2. desktop applications → multi-platform → web-based 3. desktop OS
- 70. Key success factors for migration & implementation ➢ Resources to experiment ➢ An evidence-based choice ➢ Involvement of both technical and non-technical users in the selection process ➢ Choice for a new system which is in all aspects at least as good and easy as the previous one ➢ Reporting detailed migration plan to management and get their approval and support ➢ In-house expertise with open source software and communities ➢ Contact with the developers and users community ➢ Constant communication with all stakeholders
- 71. Advantages of being a contributing community member ➢ Co-decide the direction of development ➢ Create extensions ➢ user requested ➢ research driven innovation ➢ More contacts with other educational institutions ➢ Programming projects for students ➢ Better knowledge of the system ➢ Better trouble solving ➢ Possibilities for grants
- 72. My proposal of VLIR-UOS software policy (not approved yet) ➢ VLIR-UOS wants to encourage the use of Free Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) in the South partner institutions. ➢ VLIR-UOS will only support the implementation and training of FLOSS, unless proprietary software is demonstrated to be significantly superior and necessary for the required tasks. Whenever VLIR-UOS funds are used for proprietary software, reasons must be provided (including a list of FLOSS alternatives considered) and approved by [the ICT/OLL expert group or the VLIR-UOS FLOSS Advisory Board].
- 73. My proposal of VLIR-UOS software policy (not approved yet) ➢ In the case VLIR-UOS funded hardware for South partner institutions comes with proprietary software pre-installed, it must be demonstrated that the maximum is done to convince the manufacturer or supplier to only deliver FLOSS. Suppliers that are willing to provide hardware with FLOSS are to be preferred above those that don't. ➢ Software developed with VLIR-UOS funds must be published under a FLOSS license, where possible, in order to maximize its usefulness for other developing countries. ➢ VLIR-UOS advises new IUC programmes to include a work package around FLOSS awareness creation, expertise building, policy definition, training, support and implementation.
- 74. Open Standards ➢ Open process ➢ Free / Open Access to description ➢ No secrets ➢ No patents or patents with ➢ unrestricted royalty-free implementation ➢ non-assertion promise ➢ Preferably available in multiple complete (open) implementations
- 75. File formats General preferences ➢ Standard > specification > secret ➢ Openly published > copyrighted & paywalled ➢ Public domain > patented ➢ Open license > proprietary license ➢ Usable with FLOSS software > propietary software ➢ Usable on multiple platforms ➢ Readable in browsers ➢ High quality, high efficiency
- 76. File format recommendations ➢ Avoid restricted formats ➢ Don’t annoy other people with restricted formats ➢ If others don’t need to edit your files, consider PDF ➢ Be aware of macro-viruses in MS Office files ➢ Don’t use raster based graphical editors when you need vector based graphical editors
- 79. OpenPatentOffice.org Protect your freedom to operate by sharing your innovative ideas
- 81. Credits ➢ Photo Linus Torvalds: GFDL. Permission of Martin Streicher, Editor-in-Chief, LINUXMAG.com ➢ Picture (open source business strategies) from IT Manager's Journal, may 2004, with personal permission from John Koenig ➢ Screenshot http://www.openhandsetalliance.com/ ➢ Cartoon Open Source Fish by openssoft ➢ T-Shirt “Best things are life are free” by http://zazzle.com ➢ Drupalcon DC 2009 copyright by “Chris” (Flickr) ➢ Screenshot Acquia ➢ Internet map by The Opte Project, CC-by ➢ Open arrow, CC-by-nd by ChuckCoker ➢ Share matches CC-by-nc-nd by Josh Harper ➢ Question mark CC-by by Stefan Baudy ➢ Social Icons by Iconshock http://www.iconshock.com/social-icons/
- 82. This presentation was made with 100% Free Software No animals were harmed Questier.com Frederik AT Questier.com www.linkedin.com/in/fquestie www.diigo.com/user/frederikquestier www.slideshare.net/Frederik_Questier Q uestions? ¿Preguntas?