Government of Vietnam Goes With FLOSS at Robert Pogson

VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Information and Communications has issued an instruction on using open source software products at state agencies.

see http://english.vietnamnet.vn/tech/2009/01/822425/

Good for them. Vietnam has emerged from decades of war by hard work to have a healthy, growing economy and they need to respect copyright etc. with trading partners. This step will allow them to protect M$’s rights while freeing their people from the monopoly. TFA outlines a plan to migrate most government IT over the next year or so. No five year plans here. The plan also advises system builders not to use illegal copies but to go with FLOSS.

It is good to see emerging economies adopt FLOSS, even if only in government. Government sets standards and stimulates infrastructure. Viet Nam has a large population and is diversifying away from agriculture. FLOSS should enable education and rural folk to join the 21st century as full partners.

My Mission

My observations and opinions about IT are based on 40 years of use in science and technology and lately, in education. I like IT that is fast, cost-effective and reliable. I do not care whether my solution is the same as yours. I like to think for myself.

My first use of GNU/Linux in 2001 was so remarkably better than what I had been using, I feel it is important work to share GNU/Linux with the world. I have been blessed by working in schools where students and school systems have benefited by good, modular software easily installed in most systems.

I have shown GNU/Linux to thousands of students and hundreds of teachers over the years and will continue in some way doing that until I die in spite of the opposition.