Being smart about open source: 5 practical tips for government use

There is much written about the pros and cons of using open source software, generally with more emphasis on the pros. Open source evangelists have even convinced foreign governments (India and the United Kingdom, to name a few) to go so far as mandating the use of open source software. To make smart decisions, however, government agencies must carefully consider the project in question.  Here are five tips for making sure important questions are not overlooked.

1. Avoid silly policies and mandates...

...Formal policies favoring or discouraging open source are based on broad generalizations. There are clear benefits to considering and even favoring open source options, but the “openness” of it is rarely a significant factor in whether it will be a good fit for your organization. Rather than follow too-broad-to-be-useful guidance about whether open source is good or not, it’s better to consider each tool or piece of software you need and then make an educated decision on whether a commercial or open source option is the right choice for the project at hand. And if you do select open source, my second point suggests taking a fresh view of it...