Government

Lend some code to your local representative

There was a bit of news coming out the European Parliament recently that could be easily overlooked. MEP Indrek Tarand (of Estonia no less), along with some non-MEP partners, started the European Parliament Free Software User Group (EPFSUG).

With goals like “assist people in using Free Software in the European Parliament” and planned sessions like “making your laptop free” it’s largely internal focused and not geared toward policy making. The acronym doesn’t quite roll off the tongue, in English at least, and the website leaves much to be desired, but there’s still something interesting here. » Read more

1 CommentPosted 28 Feb 2011 by Art Seavey

Roundup: Open source in the DOD

The February issue of DACS' (Data and Analysis Center for Software) Software Tech News focuses entirely on the U.S. Department of Defense and open source software.  However, even if you aren't interested in the use of open source in the military, there are still some gems that apply to all U.S. government agencies that you might want to check out.  

The articles include: » Read more

0 CommentsPosted 24 Feb 2011 by Melanie Chernoff (Red Hat)

Why you need document freedom

It seems everything has a special day--but you may not have run into Document Freedom Day, which this year is being celebrated on March 30th. Don’t for a second underestimate the importance of document freedom. It sounds dull - not just mundane, but the forgotten esoterica of the mundane - but it’s a crucial driver in the dominance of major software vendors. If the other elements of our Digital liberty are to be allowed to unfurl in their natural order, we need document freedom. » Read more

2 CommentsPosted 24 Feb 2011 by Simon Phipps

Raleigh, NC—the world's first open source city

I started pondering what qualities would define an open source city a few months ago when my friend Tom Rabon mentioned it to me one day. I was curious how the city I live in, Raleigh, NC, could attract other open source companies and be the world's hub for open source and a leader in open government. How could Raleigh be the open source capital of the world, similar to what Silicon Valley is to technology and Paris is to romance?

I think the answer can be found in both the government and the people. » Read more

15 CommentsPosted 21 Feb 2011 by Jason Hibbets (Red Hat)

Tech@State: Oh, the places we STILL need to go...

The fact that the State Department hosted a conference last week on open source shows how far the U.S. Federal Government has come in terms of tech policy. Yet the content at Tech@State: Open Source often illustrated that the road ahead is still long and arduous. » Read more

1 CommentPosted 18 Feb 2011 by Melanie Chernoff (Red Hat)

Open Source at the State Department: Loud, timely, not your parents’ State Department

Last Friday, I was in Washington, D.C., for Tech@State’s Open Source Conference . Tech@State is an inspiring step by the State Department, connecting technologists to targeted goals of the U.S. diplomacy and development agenda via networking events as part of Secretary Clinton's 21 st  Century Statecraft initiative . » Read more

0 CommentsPosted 16 Feb 2011 by Heather LaGarde

Webcast recap: General Hugh Shelton

General Hugh Shelton, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and now Chairman of the Board of Directors of Red Hat, was our guest for today's Open Your World Forum webcast. » Read more

4 CommentsPosted 16 Feb 2011 by Ruth Suehle (Red Hat)

The open source revolution

Last Friday, while the first true revolution of the Web 2.0 era was reaching its climax in Tahrir Square, I was watching events unfold from within the U.S. State Department in downtown Washington D.C. I had the privilege to attend the two-day Tech@State: Open Source conference, an event organized by the Office of eDiplomacy, a relatively new wing of the State Department led by one of most cutting-edge and dynamic teams in the federal government. » Read more

0 CommentsPosted 16 Feb 2011 by Raymond Schillinger

Economics of Participatory Government: The Coming (temporary) Scarcity

I’ll admit, it’s a bit of a sensational headline. But if I put the word “equilibrium” in there, you might not have reached this point.

Last year while presenting at a technology and disabilities conference, I answered a question about participatory government, gov 2.0, so on, in a way that reverberated in tones of heresy on the faces of some people.

I said something to the effect of: “There are people who don’t want to participate. We have a representative democracy and people paid to run things, and in many cases I want them to do their jobs and let me do mine.”
» Read more

0 CommentsPosted 15 Feb 2011 by Art Seavey

Freedom to Read, Freedom to Write: Celebrating Document Freedom Day 2011

Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) invites individuals, community groups and institutions to celebrate the Document Freedom Day (DFD) on March 30th. DFD is a global day to celebrate Open Standards and open document formats and its importance. Open Standards ensure the freedom to access your data, and the freedom to build Free Software to write and read data in specific formats.
» Read more

0 CommentsPosted 10 Feb 2011 by Fernanda Weiden