Open Source
view printable versionWhat is Open Source?
Open source - what does it mean, where does it stand, should you be doing it? OS (often termed OSS or FOSS - free and open source software) offers you the opportunity to use software free of charge and to modify that software at will, subject to any 'licences' which might apply. There are two common reasons why organisations use OS (one is cost, the second might be termed 'ethics') but does it really make a difference?
NCC (National Computing Centre) are one of the delivery partners of the ICT Hub and have lead responsibility for Open Source. In addition to seminars at the national and regional conferences, they have a detailed programme of work and support around developing resources and providing help and advice.
The ICT Hub knowledgebase provides an emerging collection of information and advice around open source. Highlights include the risks and benefits of open source and Linux as an alternative to Windows. Enjoy http://tinyurl.com/8v98m
Open source is a major phenomenon, from small local groups and support projects to major international efforts. Did you know that Linux, an emerging and popular alternative to Windows, was developed almost entirely by volunteer effort? The history of Linux and something of the spirit of open source can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux. Cute penguin too…
NOSI (Non Profit Open Source Initative) offers an interesting primer in open source and the meaning of 'free' - http://www.nosi.net/
The post NTC-conference Penguin day provided an entertaining, exciting and inspiring look at the potential uses of free and open source software* in our sector. See www.penguinday.aspirationtech.org/index.php/Main_Page for more information on the day's discussions.
The LINC project (Low Income Networking and Communications Project, US based) have some useful resources including ' Building an Open Source Office' at http://www.lincproject.org/about/recent.php
How does Open Source Help?
But how does this help you, in a small community organisation if you want someone to talk to or hold your hand? Well, there are growing examples of local and regional projects, including a no-longer-quite-so-underground effort deep in rural Herefordshire (contact www.itshere.org.uk if you want to know more). Some of the major regional players include MOST (West Midlands) and a Circuit Rider project based around open source in Cambridgeshire.
Midlands Open Source Technology (MOST) is a ChangeUp-funded initiative in the West Midlands, to improve the IT infrastructure of the voluntary sector - regionally and nationally. It takes an holistic approach, offering full training in the GNU/Linux desktop, as well as training for managers and for organisations' 'superusers'. For more, check out www.most.org.uk
CIAC (Cambridge Independent Advice Centre) are leading a FOSS (free and open source software) project in the East of England. Funded by ChangeUp, it aims to "test the usefulness of free and open source software (FOSS) for the UK voluntary and community sector." More at http://foss.ciac.org.uk/ This is also a useful resource for seeing how users experience open source on the pilot project. Regularly updated, it's a useful website with lots of thought provoking ideas and experiences - http://foss.ciac.org.uk/article39.html is a good place to start!
That's not to say there isn't a thriving open source group in your local area or region. They might not have got the profile yet! One of the roles of the Hub is to collate this sort of resource, supported by partners, and if you are looking for open source resources local to you, it may be worth talking to groups like MOST or CIAC and asking if they can signpost you to the right resource.
Social Source (www.socialsource.org.uk) are an independent, largely UK-based group, who were responsible for setting up the first UK Penguin Day (allied to the Circuit Rider conference in 2004 and 2005). Their website has a host of resources, reviews of software, articles and ideas and is a good starting point for those interested in the subject. It also gives you a chance to contribute, to 'play in the sandbox' (try it and see!) and to get your hands on a real live Wiki.
Funding Open Source
But who's funding Open Source? Well that's an interesting question and most of those involved with developing the software appear to be doing it in their own time. True, bigger companies are getting involved with marketing and distribution and you can sell services around the software you develop. Are any of the major voluntary sector funders getting heavily involved yet? Any what would be their business case for doing so? Answers on a (e-) postcard (alright, a normal email will do) to the usual address ictresources@icthub.org.uk
Charities are using open source successfully and few more so than Contact A Family (CAF). Led by Ryan Cartwright, also a member of Social Source, CAF have made a real impact and seen significant benefits from their use and application of open source. For more on this, see their case study at http://www.cafamily.org.uk/oss/
There have been real concerns around accessibility and open source but what's the real issue? AbilityNet are developing accessibility guides on key open source solutions and will be reporting later in the year. Accessibility and usability are hot topics designed to provoke a storm of comment. And here's one for starters…
Microsoft software is a 'closed' or 'proprietary' system - you can't hack the code around and change it. It's in use by most voluntary organisations in the country and there aren't many people who can't open Word documents (most computers come with it pre-installed). There has been a lot of discussion recently about using open formats (rich text format [RTF] or open document format [OD]). From one user's experience, RTFs can be enormous (meaning those of us who still sometimes use dial up connections get frustrated by downloading large files which are tiny in Word format) and Word doesn't let me open (or at least not automatically) something which has been saved in Open Office. I'm all for open standards, but if someone is sending me documents which I know 95% of my fellow users can't open unless they install some open source software, how is that any more open?
Using Open Source
So who's using open source? Well, not that many small to medium organisations at the moment. A contentious point maybe but proved by a number of research reports including the recent work by Youthnet UK into UK voluntary sector ICT infrastructure. Over 95% of respondents use Microsoft software and only a few per cent have any plans to change in the next few years. Good or bad? You decide. In any case, the work of the ICT Hub to increase awareness of open source will see a positive change in those figures over the next few years.
Ever met someone who thought open source was the answer to life, the universe and everything? Jono Bacon examines 'Trust and Zeal in Open Source Advocacy' at http://www.linuxdevcenter.com/pub/a/linux/2005/04/21/advocacy.html
Where do you go for Open Source support?
Well, there are small emerging groups of circuit riders (or IT companies and professionals) supporting OS. They're not easy to find and there isn't yet a directory of sources of help. This is another area where the Hub's Suppliers Directory will be able to provide a first point of call. OS is still in a chicken and egg situation - fewer support technicians (especially so compared to Microsoft trained ones) so fewer organisations willing to take the risk. It will change, but how soon and who is taking the risks?
Is it one size fits all? Well no. Like it or not, you probably already use open source software - the web server which hosts this newsletter runs on open source. You might well be using 'open source software' without realising it - Firefox is an increasingly popular browser (available free) and Thunderbird is an interesting alternative to Outlook and Outlook Express. From the 'back end', Linux and the variety of server based open source software has proved more reliable than some of the Microsoft alternatives and it is generally free. It's not always as straightforward but anyone who's actually had to set up and manage servers will tell you it's not straightforward anyway. No one is saying it's 'proprietary' (the term used to describe software like Microsoft) OR open source. Many people run Windows as an operating system, use open source software like Firefox as a browser, Open (or Star) Office for office software (word processing, spreadsheet etc.) and may have either Windows or Linux running on their server. In fact, as a user, when was the last time you actually cared what software ran your server as long as you can do your job? And therein lies the crunch. It's not the software, or who builds it, it's whether you can do what you need to do, reliably and securely, without the system falling over and crashing, so you can help the people you need to help. Technology simply needs to do what it's told!
Simon Davey
Omega Alpha
simon@omega-alpha.com