[clug] Your Best arguments please

Gough, Chris Chris.Gough at cit.act.edu.au
Mon Aug 11 14:45:39 EST 2003


Antony Wuth wrote:
> >>Gough, Chris (Chris.Gough at cit.act.edu.au) wrote:
> >>> Michael.James at csiro.au wrote:
> >> 1) Documented protocols and formats should be pushed for anywhere.
> >>	Once the goal-posts are cemented in position,
> >>	let OSS and proprietary duke it out, we will end up with a mix. 
> > What's to stop a vendor simulating closed formats with obscufication,
> > creating a new "public" protocol for every tender (but keeping
> > parser/generator code propietary). Should some kind of weight be given
to
> > the number of existing alternative software products (alternate vendor
and
> > OSS) that can verifieably read / write a given "public" format.
> 
> Require 3 separate / independent implementations of the protocol / data
> format. You would need to have procedures to verify that the
> implementation was actually independent (so MS doesn't just write 3
> different .doc viewers & claim them as independent) On top of this there
> probably should be the requirement that the end client is guaranteed
> future access to at least one implementation of the protocol / file
> format viewing / use code for the lifetime of the data stored / created
> in the system (ie for potential FOI data 30 odd years) 
> 
> This would pretty much require at a minimum code escrow (potentially
> expensive) or better still at least one of the implementations to be OSS
> which means the end client could effectively implement their own code
> escrow.

This is heading towards an open reference implementation requirement, as in
"You can supply a proprietary solution so long as you can prove a
replacement open solution exists, and you haven't implemented any annoying
bugs". To prove you haven't implemented any annoying bugs:
 - commit to deploying an open solution, or
 - use a widely deployed open standard, 
 - or actually prove a preexisting open solution can be made to work.

Hostile, antisocial behavior should be labeled as such and shunned.

Chris Gough



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