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European Commission issues call for evidence on open source

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Re: European Commission issues call for evidence on open source

#21

Post by juliangmp »

tomaytotomato wrote: post #15

Maybe the EU can develop its own version of Linux OS, just like North Korea. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Star_OS -- edit When legislators start getting involved they will want to inevitably have their "own" version of something and their own SLAs and contracts. The reason they went with Microsoft/IBM/Oracle and others back in the day for software solutions is; they know on a piece of paper what they are getting…

What for? Plenty of maintainers for various distros are from Europe and/or the EU.

For example: https://map.debian.net/

Re: European Commission issues call for evidence on open source

#22

Post by saubeidl »

salvozappa wrote: post #11
xbmcuser wrote: post #3

To me this is the most amazing thing people that would turn themselves inside out against communism/socialism because of the lies they have been told. When it actually comes down to it are all for communism ie open source

This is so reductive. Open source has nothing to do with communism.

As a socialist, I would disagree.

Communism is about a would-be utopia after the workers own the means of production.

For us tech workers, it could be argued that the means of production are source code. Thus, there is a socialist aspect to open source - but that's a good thing!

Re: European Commission issues call for evidence on open source

#23

Post by enriquto »

susanthenerd wrote: post #19
pferde wrote: post #16

One of the most useful steps would be to support codeforges like Github on European soil, and development of the ForgeFed project, so that those forges can talk to each other.

Codeberg and Forjeo have a foundation in Germany

And sourcehut in the Netherlands!

Re: European Commission issues call for evidence on open source

#24

Post by greatgib »

Don't know if they will get valuable feedbacks but yes, what is needed as always is money. Ever by financing projects or buying solutions that would develop them.

As said by someone else, not do the usual wasteful:

- Create a big global project with a tender directed at bullshit consulting companies and big groups. - Giving millions/billions to recreate a crappy version of something instead of pushing existing solutions.

Also, I have the feeling that an important point is that "open source" software is Open Source, and the proper solution is to fund good OSS software or stacks wherever they come from and not be short sighted of taking to much care of the dev or project location. Even if obviously it would be better that money goes to European devs)

Re: European Commission issues call for evidence on open source

#25

Post by mentalgear »

mlindner wrote: post #20

I don't see how EU can develop a thriving software industry with its love for control and regulation.

I think this was disused a few days ago in a similar HN comment thread. Turns out, the US has way more data-tapping anti-privacy laws than the EU - only that the US more or less secretly adopted them and forbids any company from telling their end-users.

Whereas you hear more about "data regulation-attempts" in the EU because it actually still has very strong privacy-rules and when trying to alter them there is a real public debate and not a hush-hush secret commission that gives security agencies access to all user data without public notification.

Re: European Commission issues call for evidence on open source

#26

Post by juliangmp »

susanthenerd wrote: post #19
pferde wrote: post #16

One of the most useful steps would be to support codeforges like Github on European soil, and development of the ForgeFed project, so that those forges can talk to each other.

Codeberg and Forjeo have a foundation in Germany

There was a grant in 2023 which was supported by the European Comission. So I think the topic itself isn't entirely unknown. https://nlnet.nl/project/Forgejo/

Re: European Commission issues call for evidence on open source

#27

Post by flowerthoughts »

I agree with others here that focusing your eyes on _using_ open source is, at least, an incomplete view of the problem.

What we (European software engineers) have been arguing, is that software that is funded by public means, such as from universities or institutions, ought to be made fully public, including ability to tweak. Thinking that open source software will help solve your budget and/or political problem is not something we're interested in doing for free. This excerpt here:

> In the last few years, it has been widely acknowledged that open source – which is a public good to be freely used, modified, and redistributed – has

suggests they see it as free candy, rather than the result of love and hard work, provided for free because it's nice. Pay for what you use, especially at the government level.

Of course, I strongly encourage the European governments to invest in open source. And if you're interested in giving money, I'm interested in doing work. Same as ever.

Re: European Commission issues call for evidence on open source

#28

Post by integralid »

ben_w wrote: post #7
ngruhn wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just because it's free? Let's talk again when all open source projects are funded and controlled by the state with zero competition between them and no consumer choice. Only one Linux distro, only one database, only one web framework, etc. And it's decided top-down from the state what to work on. I doubt though that these projects would have started in the first place in a communist setting.

"The" state, with no competition, like there's only one state? Belgium isn't big enough to realistically have its own linux, but France and Germany are.

North Korea has its own Linux. Google has its own Linux. There are Linux distributions maintained by a single person. Belgium will do fine.
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