www/philosophy government-free-software.html

[Jason Self]

CVSROOT:        /web/www
Module name:    www
Changes by:     Jason Self <jxself>     11/12/19 22:13:41

Modified files:
        philosophy     : government-free-software.html 

Log message:
        RMS emailed in a slightly updated version of government-free-software 
on RT # 718052

CVSWeb URLs:
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/philosophy/government-free-software.html?cvsroot=www&r1=1.2&r2=1.3

Patches:
Index: government-free-software.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /web/www/www/philosophy/government-free-software.html,v
retrieving revision 1.2
retrieving revision 1.3
diff -u -b -r1.2 -r1.3
--- government-free-software.html       19 Dec 2011 20:10:09 -0000      1.2
+++ government-free-software.html       19 Dec 2011 22:13:35 -0000      1.3
@@ -9,13 +9,11 @@
 
 <p>This article suggests policies for a strong and firm effort to promote
 free software within the state, and to lead the rest of the country
-towards software freedom.
-</p>
+towards software freedom.</p>
 
 <p>The mission of the state is to organize society for the freedom and
 well-being of the people. One aspect of this mission, in the
-computing field, is to encourage users to adopt free software.
-</p>
+computing field, is to encourage users to adopt free software.</p>
 
 <p>The state needs to insist on free software in its own computing for
 the sake of its computational sovereignty (the state's control over
@@ -25,54 +23,45 @@
 activities now depend on computing, and its control over those
 activities depends on its control over that computing. Losing this
 control in an agency whose mission is critical undermines national
-security.
-</p>
+security.</p>
 
 <p>Moving state agencies to free software can also provide secondary
 benefits, such as saving money and encouraging local software support
-businesses.
-</p>
+businesses.</p>
 
-<p>In this text, "state entities" means public agencies including
-schools, public-private partnerships, largely state-funded activities
-such as charter schools, and "private" corporations controlled by the
-state or established with special privileges or functions by the
-state.
-</p>
+<p>In this text, "state entities" refers to all levels of government, and
+means public agencies including schools, public-private partnerships,
+largely state-funded activities such as charter schools, and "private"
+corporations controlled by the state or established with special
+privileges or functions by the state.</p>
 
 <p>The most important policy concerns education, since that shapes
-the future of the country:
-</p>
+the future of the country:</p>
 
 <ul>
 <li>Educational activities, or at least those of of state entities, must
 teach only free software (thus, they should never lead students to use
 a nonfree program), and should teach the civic reasons for insisting
 on free software. To teach a nonfree program is to teach dependence,
-which is contrary to the mission of the school.
-</li>
+which is contrary to the mission of the school.</li>
 </ul>
 
 <p>Also crucial are state policies that influence what software
-individuals and organizations use:
-</p>
+individuals and organizations use:</p>
 
 <ul>
 <li>Laws and public sector practices must be changed so that they never
 require or pressure individuals or organizations to use a nonfree
 program. They should also discourage communication and publication
-practices that imply such consequences (including DRM).
-</li>
+practices that imply such consequences (including DRM).</li>
 
 <li>Whenever a state entity distributes software to the public,
 including programs included in or specified by its web pages, it must
 be distributed as free software, and must be capable of running on a
-100% free environment.
-</li>
+100% free environment.</li>
 
 <li>State entity web sites and servers must be designed to function fully
-with 100% free environments on the user's computer.
-</li>
+with 100% free environments on the user's computer.</li>
 
 <li>State entities must use only file formats and communication
 protocols that are well supported by free software, preferably with
@@ -81,95 +70,79 @@
 well as standardized ones.) For example, they must not distribute
 audio or video recordings in formats that require Flash or nonfree
 codecs, and public libraries must not distribute works with Digital
-Restrictions Management.
-</li>
+Restrictions Management.</li>
 </ul>
 
 <p>Several policies affect the computational sovereignty of the state.
 State entities must maintain control over their computing, not cede
 control to private hands. These points apply to all computers,
-including smartphones.
-</p>
+including smartphones.</p>
 
 <ul>
 <li>State entities must migrate to free software, and must not install,
 or continue using, any nonfree software except under a temporary
 exception. Only one agency should have the authority to grant these
 temporary exceptions, and only when shown compelling reasons. This
-agency's goal should be to reduce the number of exceptions to zero.
-</li>
+agency's goal should be to reduce the number of exceptions to zero.</li>
 
 <li>When a state entity pays for development of a computing solution,
 the contract must require it be delivered as free software and be
 capable of running on a 100% free environment. All contracts must
 require this, so that if the developer does not comply with this
-requirement, the work cannot be paid for.
-</li>
+requirement, the work cannot be paid for.</li>
 
 <li>When a state entity buys or leases computers, it must choose among
 the models that come closest, in their class, to being capable of
 running without any proprietary software. The state should maintain,
 for each class of computers, a list of the models authorized based on
 this criterion. Models available to both the public and the state
-should be preferred to models available only to the state.
-</li>
+should be preferred to models available only to the state.</li>
 
 <li>The state should negotiate actively with manufacturers to bring
 about the availability in the market (to the state and the public) of
 suitable hardware products, in all pertinent product areas, that
-require no proprietary software.
-</li>
+require no proprietary software.</li>
 
 <li>The state should invite other states to negotiate collectively with
 manufacturers about suitable hardware products. Together they will
-have more clout.
-</li>
+have more clout.</li>
 </ul>
 
 <p>The computational sovereignty (and security) of the state includes
-control over the computers that do the state's work. This means
+control over the computers that do the state's work.  This requires
 avoiding Software as a Service, unless the service is run by a state
 agency under the same branch of government, as well as other practices
-that deminish the state control over its computing. Therefore,
-</p>
+that deminish the state control over its computing.  Therefore,</p>
 
 <ul>
-<li>Every computer that the state uses must belong to the state or be
-leased by the state, and the state must never cede authority to a
-private entity over who has physical access to the computer, who can
-do maintenance (hardware or software) on it, or what software should
-be installed in it. If the computer is not portable, then while in
-use it must be in a physical space of which the state is the occupant
-(either as owner or as tenant).
-</li>
+<li>Every computer that the state uses must belong to or be leased by
+the same branch of government, and a state agency must never cede authority
+to any private entity, or anyone outside the same branch of government,
+over who has physical access to the computer, who
+can do maintenance (hardware or software) on it, or what software
+should be installed in it.  If the computer is not portable, then
+while in use it must be in a physical space of which the state is the
+occupant (either as owner or as tenant).</li>
 </ul>
 
-<p>One other policy affects free and nonfree software development:
-</p>
+<p>One other policy affects free and nonfree software development:</p>
 
 <ul>
 <li>The state should encourage developers to create or enhance Free
 Software and who make it available to the public, e.g. by tax breaks
 and other financial incentive. Contrariwise, no such incentives
 should be granted for development, distribution or use of non-free
-software.
-</li>
+software.</li>
 
 <li>In particular, proprietary software developers should not be able to
 "donate" copies to schools and claim a tax write-off for the nominal
 value of the software. Proprietary software is not legitimate in a
-school.
-</li>
-</ul>
+school.</li>
 
-<p>With these measures, the state can recover control over its computing,
+<li>With these measures, the state can recover control over its computing,
 and lead the country's citizens, businesses and organizations towards
-control over their computing.
-</p>
-
-<p>Copyright 2011 Free Software Foundation
-Released under the CC-BY-ND 3.0 license. 
-</p>
+control over their computing.</li>
+</ul>
 
 </div><!-- for id="content", starts in the include above -->
 <!--#include virtual="/server/footer.html" -->
@@ -203,7 +176,7 @@
 <p>
 Updated:
 <!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2011/12/19 20:10:09 $
+$Date: 2011/12/19 22:13:35 $
 <!-- timestamp end -->
 </p>
 </div>