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You read corectly, but interpreted wrongly...
Hmm...so they're going to turn their local gov't into a developer if the 'open source product' that they just so choose doesn't have the functionality that they needed or went away. Oh yeah, they have the source all right. They're going to have to continue to develop it as well or to pay something to develop it for them.

You are mistaken if you think that a state, city, province, cept, parish, or indeed any government of any size or aspect doesn't do their own development or pay someone to do it for them. They do: no off-the-shelf package, whether FOSS or proprietary comes fully specific to use. Code, if only supporting scripts, must be written.

In FOSS though, these modifications need not be held privately, and can be shared with other governmental institutions. Mannheim might share code with Bonn or Munich, just as the Rhode Island , US executive currently shares code with Newport News, Virginia.

Since code is shared the actual development costs go down, because the need to re-invent every part of the wheel progressively disappears. Sharing is an efficient use of the government's money and sharing is what FOSS is all about - code, idea, and implementations. Will it cost more to switch than to stay with the current systems? Yes. In the long haul though, amortized over many cooperative years, the initial heavy cost will be lost in proceeding savings. the more entities that participate, the more savings for each.
Posted by: John Le'Brecage   Posted on: 12/05/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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Wonderful, just wonderful  Boot_Agnostic | 12/05/05
This says it all:  Bowler_z | 12/05/05
Why not use Terminal Services  SilverDrake | 12/05/05
Terminal Server  Grolan | 12/06/05
The Customer is Always Right ...  George Mitchell | 12/05/05
Re: The Customer is Always Right ...  richdave | 12/06/05
Re: The Customer is Always Right ...  richdave | 12/06/05
Did I read this right ?  JJ_z | 12/05/05
You read corectly, but interpreted wrongly...  John Le'Brecage | 12/05/05
Agreed partial  JJ_z | 12/05/05
It comes later.  ajole | 12/05/05
Exactly right!  GreyGeek | 12/05/05
Additional Savings  Grolan | 12/05/05
John, you must be  Linux User 147560 | 12/06/05
The Easier "Turn Into"...  alxnsc@... | 12/06/05
I bet if they look closer...  Net-Tech_z | 12/05/05
Easily converted, as long as  Hugh Jass | 12/05/05
Mannheim is right!  Linux Geek | 12/05/05
Germany has  mikeybrass | 12/05/05
A shill Like you Linux Geek?  John Zern | 12/05/05
Let's be fair ...  mwagner@... | 12/05/05
You have a small operation mentality.  jrbeaman | 12/05/05
Germany is thriving???  jim.bassett@... | 12/05/05
German unemployment  clifflee | 12/05/05
Mannheim - Germany  schmidtner | 12/06/05
Mannheim - Germany  schmidtner | 12/06/05
One city's move to open source  Loverock Davidson | 12/05/05
Drink an apology  John Le'Brecage | 12/05/05
care to fill us in  stormdoor | 12/05/05
foolish  IceTheNet@... | 12/05/05
foolish  IceTheNet@... | 12/05/05
Sans comprehension de context?  preacherx | 12/05/05
Read small system mentality above.  jrbeaman | 12/05/05
Why do people waste my screen real-estate by replying to Loverock!  el1jones | 12/05/05
Uh oh  Loverock Davidson | 12/05/05
ROFLMAO!!!  Linux User 147560 | 12/06/05
Fear  Grolan | 12/05/05
Hammer meet nail!  Linux User 147560 | 12/06/05
The former doesn't exclude the latter  IT_User | 12/06/05
Well Said  Craigerjack | 12/06/05
Can you predict this well in other areas?  Steve Z | 12/06/05
I don't even think it will cost more.  IceTheNet@... | 12/05/05
EXACTAMUNDO!  jrbeaman | 12/05/05
huh?  Anti_Zealot | 12/05/05
The switch cost question  Chad_z | 12/06/05
Move to linux when it has same look and feel as windows  jim.bassett@... | 12/05/05
Move to Windows when it has the same look and feel as Linux  GreyGeek | 12/05/05
Dear Jim, I was going to say a similar thing, but  Update victim | 12/06/05
Dear Jim, I was going to say a similar thing, but  Update victim | 12/06/05
Dear Jim, I was going to say a similar thing, but  Update victim | 12/06/05
There is nothing wrong with closed and proprietary s/w suites.  michael_t | 12/05/05
Mostly ok...but...  techboy_z | 12/06/05
Why the need to switch to an open format?  ye | 12/05/05
Public records  GoPower | 12/05/05
How is that any different than today?  ye | 12/05/05
MS formats change  dmhunter@... | 12/05/05
And an open format couldn't?  ye | 12/06/05
That's Because You're...  tbbrickster_z | 12/06/05
it's OPEN  pkrdk | 12/07/05
Forget the 'format' change  Boot_Agnostic | 12/07/05
And an open format couldn't?  ye | 12/06/05
open format means accessible documents  PhilippeV | 12/09/05
The effect of powerful lobbies  GreyGeek | 12/05/05
MS file reader  veseng | 12/06/05
Where is the Linux version?  Linux User 147560 | 12/06/05
The answers are simple  shawkins | 12/05/05
Perhaps you should lookup the definition of "de facto"  ye | 12/05/05
Well, there are a few definitions......  shawkins | 12/06/05
What I've always loved...  ju1ce | 12/06/05
IT is not the customer...  ye | 12/06/05
Seems to me this is nothing more than...  ye | 12/06/05
It's a LOT more....  shawkins | 12/06/05
Cost prevention is cost savings. - NT  Update victim | 12/06/05
Cost prevention is cost savings. - NT  Update victim | 12/06/05
Yep, festering for quite a while.  Update victim | 12/06/05
Yep, festering for quite a while.  Update victim | 12/06/05
User power  pkrdk | 12/07/05
Its really about choice ...  George Mitchell | 12/06/05
Stop Making Sense wink  RimaDog@... | 12/05/05
Why Mannheim Will Fail  RimaDog@... | 12/05/05
So, I guess this means that according to you...  zkiwi | 12/05/05
You get that it was a joke, right?  NonCartoonist | 12/06/05
One truth  pkrdk | 12/07/05
In Germany the trains run on time...  ned_gerblanski | 12/05/05
Wrong  nigelfarman@... | 12/07/05
One city's very slow crawl to open source  computer_man | 12/05/05
So...  zkiwi | 12/05/05
Interesting  Roger Ramjet | 12/06/05
I feel sorry for the poor government workers  jfreedle2@... | 12/05/05
Ok...  zkiwi | 12/05/05
Mee too! Now they will have completely uninterrupted work without  michael_t | 12/06/05
Seems to be all the rage in Europe in cities that begin w/ M...  ~doolittle~ | 12/05/05
City???  tombalablomba | 12/06/05
Is Office 2003 REALLY worth it?  Roger Ramjet | 12/06/05
Consumer more rigid to MS than Government  pek_z | 12/06/05
*Where* Germany?  itanal | 12/06/05
The position  mikeybrass | 12/06/05
Hey  Roger Ramjet | 12/06/05
Message has been deleted.  itanal | 12/06/05
No that would be  Linux Advocate | 12/06/05
No that would be  Linux Advocate | 12/06/05
Wow itanal, how much to you hate America?  B.O.F.H. | 12/06/05
BOFH, check this out..  widge_z | 12/06/05
I still prefer the refined style of Mike Cox. You are too  michael_t | 12/06/05
Let's count the FUD tactics folks  Steve Z | 12/06/05
You're just too much  pkrdk | 12/07/05
Get an education  Expatriate US Geek | 12/06/05
Ohh - why didn't you say so?  ejhonda | 12/06/05
OFT  kosse | 12/07/05
*Where* Germany?  alxnsc@... | 12/09/05
Those damn Europeans, always...  nix_os_fan | 12/06/05
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I know what's best for you. So shut up.  Anton Philidor | 12/06/05
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If the "proof" were "in the marketplace"...  Anton Philidor | 12/06/05
1 Million Euro Straw that Broke the Camel's Back  tbbrickster_z | 12/06/05
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Dumb or Stupid?  GeiselS@... | 12/06/05
Anti-American  john public | 12/06/05
Gee I wonder  Linux Advocate | 12/06/05
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It's the same here, a lot becoming anti-European  Boot_Agnostic | 12/07/05
It's the same here, a lot becoming anti-European  Boot_Agnostic | 12/07/05
ThinkFree Office  albertsj | 12/07/05

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