Discussion
The EU is already starting to show us what it means when governments get behind *libre* community (not *proprietary*) software. It gets really good, really quickly. Because *all the building blocks are there, and the expertise to use them - like pouring water on barren soil. And we, in Aotearoa can benefit in good conscience from the EU's investment in saving its own bacon. We too can use that world-class software to replace Big Tech at a much lower cost & without loss of sovereignty.
14/n
@libroraptor yup, it's an insidious disease. This is what neoliberalism looks like at the coal face.
The EU is ok with sharing because it conveys a better value by far than legacy capitalism. After all its sovereignty isn't threatened if other countries also reclaim their sovereignty! But gov't investment in software by communities (don't get me wrong - this stuff is written mostly by experienced professionals!) isn't just an EU thing - if NZ (and AU and the UK, etc.) do the same, it forms the basis for a 'virtuous cycle' - the opposite of a 'vicious circle' - where we can use savings...
15/n
As an aside - the EU is also 'ok with sharing' because the licenses of the code they're building upon *require it*, enforcible by their own laws. It helps keep any lingering legacy capitalist tendencies in check.
It's impossible to overstate the value of libre licenses in this sort of situation.
Further aside: here in NZ, gov't folk tried to water down the licensing of our own NZ-GOAL Software Extension to make it more 'corporate friendly'. We pushed back hard. See the copyleft side. https://data.govt.nz/toolkit/policies/nzgoal/nzgoal-se Sadly the 'loomio' (a NZ-developed libre platform) holds a full record of the national collaboration on building this document. Sadly, the gov't didn't think to make it publicly visible, as many could learn from it &, say, revolutionise our Select Committee process.
... from adopting (perhaps with adjustments to suit our context, which is totally fine under libre) someone else's libre solution, to help fund other projects that make Aotearoa's systems stronger & more resilient. This is a model that extends to climate change mitigation. Imagine if we build software (or other tech solution) with open licenses, so they can be adopted a tiny cost (compared to proprietary offerings) by Pacific Island nations, & others in the developing south... Imagine.
16/16
If you're wondering where 1-13/n are, my bad. Find them here: https://mastodon.nzoss.nz/@lightweight/117554628036322612
@lightweight there was an effort to strengthen QGIS for NZ government use but somehow all of the Councils want to pay for ArcGIS – which I think we should all be able to use, as subjects of the same Crown that the Councils are entities of.