[clug] What sort of OSS legislation would you like to see

[Carl Jackson]

Thanks for all your contributions for my MLA.   I have been cutting and
pasting madly.  Special mention Darren Freeman - I am stealing  your
jokes in true OSS tradition.

A second issue I'd like to throw open to the forum - if a pro OSS bill
goes through the Assembly - what would you like it to be? What key
wording in particular.  From a practical point of view I'm fairly
certain that an absolute OSS mandate bill would not get the numbers.
Whats more even if it did get up it would have no chance of being
adopted as model legislation for a federal bill, which is where the real
action is.    I've read the Texas and Oregan bills and they seem good if
a little soft - however my personal view is I'd like to be tough about
Desktop OSs and Office packages, and my view as a lobbyist is that is
not impossible to sell to the MLAs.   As a minimum language such as
"fair and equitable consideration must be give to OSS alternatives in
all purchasing decisions" in clearly necessary.  My current thinking is
something that makes OSS options the "default" solution, and puts an
onus on the Public Service buyer to prove that the default is not viable
if he wishes to buy a proprietary product - what does the list think of
that?

However I haven't seen a set of language yet that really "clicked" for
an ACT bill  so heres your chance to write the critical line of the
first OSS bill in the english-speaking world :-)

Carl Jackson