The UK government recently published its new Open Source, Open Standards and Re-Use policy. First, the first. It is a good and solid document. Just at the beginning, it puts things straight:
Open Source has been one of the most significant cultural developments in IT and beyond over the last two decades: it has shown that individuals, working together over the Internet, can create products that rival and sometimes beat those of giant corporations; it has shown how giant corporations themselves, and Governments, can become more innovative, more agile and more cost-effective by building on the fruits of community work; and from its IT base the Open Source movement has given leadership to new thinking about intellectual property rights and the availability of information for re–use by others.
Tom Watson MP (UK Minister for Digital Engagement)
This paragraph is one of the best way of beginning a FLOSS policy. Tom Watson in behalf of the UK government is explaining that Open Source technology is there and is good. The first statement makes clear that Open Source is not a silver bullet, but 1) it has the potential to rival any software solution, 2) it has the potential of making private and governmental institutions more effective, and 3) it has been an awakening to boost a new debate of the intellectual property discussion.
The last part introduces a new concept: re-use. I have written here about how governments can buy rights for books, software, and other forms of knowledge and make them public. I did not use a word for that. But re-use is adequate. The UK policy even makes this completely clear:
Where appropriate, general purpose software developed for government will be released on an open source basis.
Re-use. Only governments (and some big companies) have the money and interest to do it. For governments is about providing the most to most people.
I say go FLOSS, you say re-use.
