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The US Department of Defense is in the process of releasing all of its custom software under Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) licenses with a deadline of June for getting under way. Most of the barriers so far have been legal and policy ones, not technical.
As part of the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, the Defense Department has until June to start moving much of its custom-developed software source code to a central repository and begin managing and licensing it via open source methods.
The mandate might prove daunting for an organization in which open source practices are relatively scarce, especially considering that, until recently, there was no established open source playbook for the federal government. That's begun to change, however, with the Office of Management and Budget's code.gov, and its DoD corollary, code.mil, run by the Defense Digital Service (DDS).
The fact that such software is actually under public domain inside the US adds a small twist to the release process.
From Federal News Radio : Amid congressional mandate to open source DoD's software code, Code.mil serves as guidepost.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 18 2018, @03:58AM (7 children)
US government code should have permanent copyright, with all US-only citizens (excluding those with dual citizenship) having a license.
My taxes paid for that code. Greek citizens didn't pay. French citizens didn't pay. Korean citizens didn't pay.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by lentilla on Sunday March 18 2018, @06:43AM (2 children)
Your argument (US citizens paid to write software, therefore only US citizens should be allowed to benefit) is rational, albeit short-sighted.
We've all heard that metaphor about standing on the shoulders of giants [wikipedia.org], so I'd ask you to consider who are the giants here? It's not just the American taxpayer.
May I suggest you broaden your horizon and consider that all of humanity are your brothers - upon whose father's shoulders have lifted you to your pleasant place - and that you have inherited a debt - not only to your neighbours, but to all your cousins as well.
Not to detract from my main point regarding US citizens' membership in the human race... just remember we are talking about software here. Something that can be infinitely copied without loss to the originator. If it were food, then we might have to pick favourites.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Sunday March 18 2018, @10:33AM (1 child)
Thank you Karl Marx. I would have said RMS but you weren't quite communist enough in your silliness.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 3, Touché) by lentilla on Sunday March 18 2018, @11:21AM
I am but a work in progress :-)
(Score: 3, Insightful) by canopic jug on Sunday March 18 2018, @10:02AM (3 children)
My taxes paid for that code. Greek citizens didn't pay. French citizens didn't pay. Korean citizens didn't pay.
Look at the very significant and long-lasting political and economic benefits that the Marshall Plan had. Letting the code loose under a FOSS license provides a similar, if smaller, benefit but at no additional cost. The money for the code is already spent. You're not getting it back. Being a dick won't have any social or political or economic benefits.
This is particularly needed because Bush II burned up all the good will that the world, especially Europe, had for the US during his first months of office. Showing a little unselfishness will go a long way in repairing that -- once the current regime stops actively burning bridges.
That's on top of the theoretical benefits of FOSS where the code might be improved by third parties.
Money is not free speech. Elections should not be auctions.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Sunday March 18 2018, @10:37AM (2 children)
Get real. Europe hasn't had any good will for the US at least since the cold war ended and they started moving communist. Funny how everyone thinks the US won the cold war when everyone really just switched sides.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by canopic jug on Sunday March 18 2018, @03:05PM (1 child)
I'm not sure we're talking about the same Europe. The one I'm referring to took a giant leap to the right back in the 1990s and has been creeping further ever since in fits and starts [nytimes.com]. In many countries, the social and economic policies more closely resemble Thatcherism than anything else. Gone are even moderate plans like a middle path, where the best of both approaches was used to great prosperity and beneift. Politically, the previous far right parties in many countries renamed themselves "center" and then all the others adjusted accordingly. So many of the formerly progressive parties are now what used to be center or right of center. Populism is on the rise as well in most places.
The Thatcherism means that the proliferation of mines, including strip mines, upstream will render the surface water toxic and thus the fish therein unsuitable for eating, assuming there are some alive. Catch and release is industrial bullshit made popular to lessen concerns about toxicity. Populism means that harassment and sabotage will be used even more than before to hinder foreigners that have the cheek to be seen out on the water.
Money is not free speech. Elections should not be auctions.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday March 20 2018, @11:35AM
Populism pop·u·lism
noun:
A derogatory term for democracy used by authoritarian elitists.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.