[TriLUG] mostly OT: Tech Lobbyist

[Aaron Joyner via TriLUG]

There's a large / entrenched base of government IT workers who support the
existing systems (desktops, web servers, app servers, etc).  There's also
likely a large quantity of somewhat-specialized software for which FLOSS
alternatives may not be fully baked for yet (think GIS, accounting, etc).
Migrating all those systems to FLOSS alternatives is an excellent long-term
goal, but government tends to move very slowly in this regard for many of
those reasons.

I suspect that more legislation is unlikely to be effective at pushing that
process forward.  What we need are more direct involvement from people on
this list to help educate the career bureaucrats on just how much better
their world could be in the bright shiny IT future we all live in, and then
offers to do actual work to help push them in that direction.  Consider the
recent efforts like the US Digital Service[1].  I personally know a lot of
the people involved in that effort.  If you want to contribute at the
federal level, or start similar efforts at the state level, let me know and
I can help put you in touch with the right people.

Aaron S. Joyner

1 - https://www.whitehouse.gov/digital/united-states-digital-service


On Thu, Sep 24, 2015 at 11:15 AM, Tim Jowers via TriLUG <trilug at trilug.org>
wrote:

> Is there any Lobbyist representing tech?  E.g. by now there is zero
> technical reason all government systems have not moved to Linux. Certainly,
> by now, the majority of the State of NC systems and computers should run
> Linux. Linux has been very stable for over a decade both from a desktop and
> from a server perspective. Even the vast majority of mobile phones run
> Linux or a sister OS (I understand iOS is basically freebsd reworked,
> correct me if wrong).
>
> My understanding from speaking with one lobbyist is the legal process works
> like this: someone proposes a bill. The committee has no clue often. They
> ask verbally [does anyone have input or objection]. If no lobbyist is
> present to educate, then the bill gets approved to vote. Something like
> that.
>
> Clearly, we need representation. Would you pay $100/year to fund your own
> Tech Lobbyist?  Would your company pay $1,000 or more? I'm sure many would.
> The Internet "Geographic Monopoly" is one obvious example of lobbying and
> lack of a Tech Lobbyist.
>
> In some states, having a PMP certification is required for performing State
> contracts. I know the PE licensing board has failed to address Software
> Engineering. Perhaps we also need a licensing board.
>
> Thoughts?
> Tim Jowers
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