[open-government] [euopendata] UK Open Standards: Proprietary Software Strikes Back (and this time is nasty)

[Ton Zijlstra]

Distributed:
http://epsiplatform.eu/content/now-time-respond-uk-public-consultation
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Interdependent Thoughts
Ton Zijlstra

ton at tonzijlstra.eu
+31-6-34489360

http://zylstra.org/blog

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On Tue, Apr 17, 2012 at 2:53 PM, Javier Ruiz <javier at openrightsgroup.org>wrote:

>  PLEASE HELP DISTRIBUTE
>
> Dear all
>
> The UK is in the middle of a public consultation on the adoption of Open
> Standards for public ICT, including those involving Open Data. This policy
> is also part of the Open Government Partnership commitments in the UK
> National Action Plan.
>
> There are grave concerns that government commitments to open standards are
> in danger after extreme lobbying by proprietary software firms. Insiders
> are telling us that this is an unprecedented dirty tricks campaign to
> destroy the challenge to existing ICT lock-in frameworks. They are sending
> around scaremongering stories about inflated costs and the danger that
> government ICT will grind to a halt.
>
> This lobbying has already led to the freezing of the initial policy and
> forced a full consultation, which has seen a major mobilisation by large
> commercial interests to pack the meetings and drive responses. A reversal
> of this policy would be a serious blow to the credibility of the current
> government openness policy.
>
> Jeni Tennison has written an excellent summary, showing why his is much
> more than a battle for the desktop office as in DOC vs ODT.
>
> http://www.jenitennison.com/blog/node/169
>
> This organised campaigning of vested interests needs to be urgently
> countered by the active
>
> participation of the wider open community.
>
> The deadline for submissions and participation is May 3rd, so there is not
> much time.
>
>
> The Open Standards consultation web site is at
> http://consultation.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/openstandards/.
>
>
> Details of how to respond can be as simple as an email – see
> http://consultation.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/openstandards/how-to-respond/,
>
>
> --
> Javier Ruiz
> javier at openrightsgroup.org
> +44(0)7877 911 412
> @javierruiz
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> euopendata mailing list
> euopendata at lists.okfn.org
> http://lists.okfn.org/mailman/listinfo/euopendata
>
>
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