[DMCA-Activists] San Francisco Rally for Free Software in Government

[Seth Johnson]

(Forwarded from New York GNU/Linux Scene Hangout list)

-------- Original Message --------
Date: Fri, 16 Aug 2002 10:47:22 -0400
From: Ray Connolly <address@hidden>
To: "'nylxs'" <address@hidden>


Computer Programmers Rally for Bill

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 7:22 p.m. ET
August 15, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Comparing their cause to America's
fight for independence from England, computer programmers
rallied Thursday to support a proposal that would require
the state of California to purchase more open-source
software.

Michael Tiemann, chief technology officer for Raleigh,
N.C.-based software company Red Hat, led about 30 protesters
from the Linux World Conference & Expo to a podium outside
City Hall. He urged politicians to adopt the Digital
Software Security Act, a month-old proposal gaining support
among hackers, civil libertarians and people opposed to
Microsoft's dominance of the global software industry.

``Government and monopolists want to take away our right to
write software and use computers as we want to use them,''
Tiemann said to marchers, mainly shaggy-haired men in
T-shirts and jeans. ``Open source is the true spirit of
democracy, and we must preserve it.''

The proposal would require California state agencies to use
open-source software such as the Linux operating system as
an alternative to proprietary software such as Microsoft
Windows. Tiemann and several other open-source enthusiasts
wrote the proposal and published it online, but they're
asking programmers around the world to suggest changes.

Open-source programs can be downloaded from the Internet for
free, and they don't require users to pay licensing fees.
Installing Linux on servers has saved Amazon.com, 7-Eleven,
Deutsche Telekom, the Chinese government and other groups
millions of dollars.

Mainly because of the reduced cost, government agencies and
corporations around the world are switching to open-source
software to run databases and manage e-mail. According to
research firm A.D.H. Brown Associates, about 20 million
people are using the Linux operating system, the most
popular example of open-source software.

But the Computing Technology Industry Association blasted
the notion that California adopt an open-source approach.
The Washington-based trade group said the proposal would
stifle innovation in corporate America and cause
``unintended repercussions for California, its (information
technology) industry and its citizens.''

A Microsoft spokesman refused to comment on the bill but
said the world's largest software company supported the
CTIA's position.

Microsoft's snubbing didn't surprise protesters. Many
worried that Microsoft could extend its dominance in
operating systems and Internet browsers to gain access to
personal data stored on computers, including passwords or
financial information. They feared digital privacy bills
introduced earlier this year, including one to put
government-mandated anti-copying mechanisms in consumer
electronic devices.

``They're all in cahoots -- Microsoft, the government,
corporate America,'' said protester Mike Collins, 48, a
computer consultant in Austin, Texas, who sported a tattoo
of the Linux penguin logo on his calf. ``We are at a pivotal
point. We need open source now more than ever.''

But the rally's sparse attendance may underscore challenges
facing the proposal. Only about 30 of the 15,000 Linux World
attendants marched to City Hall. Open-source enthusiasts are
known for their libertarianism and disdain for politics.

``Programmers are more comfortable in front of a keyboard,
not at a podium,'' said Raj Nagra, 33, a network specialist
who supports the proposal because he's seen significant cost
savings after installing Linux-based systems for the city of
Fresno. ``They'll submit code and maybe they'll send a check
to support their cause, but they probably won't take their
cause to the streets.'' 

____________________________
New Yorker Free Software Users Scene
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