A MARRIAGE BOUND NOT TO HAPPEN? FLOSS AND NGOs

By Frederick Noronha

SYDNEY, Australia: In theory, it should be the perfect fit. A
world where alternative software is suitably matched with the
needs of the alternative campaign and not-for-profit world.
Yet, in real life, NGOs (non-government organisations) and
others in the campaign network fall back on proprietorial,
"unfree" software written by influential corporations rather
than opt for Free Software.

This is all the more of a paradox since Free Software is one
of the few alternative sectors where the "alternative is
better than the real thing" in a way. Free Software is known
for its robustness, diversity and even being an ethical
choice. But it doesn't get widely used in the alternate
and campaign sector.

Question is: why?

What are the challenges when non-profits face technology?

Grant McHerron of APC.au says: "Aside from the usual
challenges (which come up when dealing) with most small
organisations, such as the lack of money, and lack of
knowledge, I think the challenge is really trying to work
with them to make sure that they know what's being done..."

He doesn't see non-profits as being "suspicious of
technology" in a place like Australia. "It's pretty up on
technology once they get the hang of it. Here they're not
worried about it," says Grant.

But there are new challenges coming in. While offering FLOSS
solutions, they found a major proprietorial software firm
offering "educational discounts" to those planning to shift
to FLOSS.

"After this, the difference in cost was negligible," he
notes.

Andrew Lowenthal of Tactical Tech, who informally addressed
APC members about his work during the Sydney meeting, argues
that FLOSS itself has certain limitations which need to be
fixed.

Says Andrew, also known just as "And": "FLOSS is often
confusing and etremely overwheling for non-technical people.
It can be badly documented and too geeky. Sometimes it's hard
to find tools that work, or people are simply afraid. It's
also difficult to download tools because of bandwidth
issues."

But, at the same time, he points out that FLOSS also offers
some potential: it is free and legal to copy and distribute.
If 'editorial teams' select the most relevant and mature
tools, it is possible to 'build on the collective knowledge
of people using these tools'. And FLOSS users tend to be
rather free in sharing all they know!

"(Because it's FLOSS, and not encumbered by restrictive
copyrights) we can easily hand out copies of the software
programme after we teach it," explains And.

The lack of technical and support skills is one issue. Until
non-profit users can feel comfortable using FLOSS, sure they
will get the support when things go wrong, they will probably
just NOT use it. Another issue is the fact that we humans
remain creatures of habit. So what if FLOSS is more ethical?
Isn't Windows all that more easier to use, and haven't we
just been using it all this time?

But there are other less-discussed issues too.

Grant McHerron of APC.au admits that FLOSS (Free/Libre and
Open Source Software) faces a "lack of tools" on some, even
if only a few, fronts. This can be irritating.

"The big one is on the database front. There is a niche that
MSAccess fills, and I have yet to find a competitor (in the
FLOSS world). I must admit I haven't done any major research
in that area," says he.

"MS Access allows a reasonable savvy user to quickly create
basic databases, with input screens and reports. These can
then be shared between a small number of workers on the
network," says McHerron.

"So far the database with Open Office isn't (very
powerful)... you can't do relations between tables. You can't
have multiple tables. So, you either have very simple tools
or reasonably complex ones (in the FLOSS world) such as
Postgres and MySQL, at the top end, for which you need to be
a database administrator to know what you're doing. There's a
large gap in the middle. If you could fill it, that would be
really something," says McHerron.

OTHER GAPS

There are other gaps too waiting to be filled, even if these
need not be an alibi for trying out the increasingly
easier-to-use FLOSS tools.

Other tools in shortage in a FLOSS world include those
related to accounting and membership applications.

"These need a lot of logic, and the understanding of relevant
business rules. These are classic database applications, that
would in the past have been developed with Access or DOTNet
or things like that. And accessed thru workstations,
connected through a central database server," explains
McHerron.

Until now this has been a block to move across over to a
GNU/Linux-based system. Because we still have to run our
database system, and that requires Windows.

But soon this could cease to be a problem.

"Over the next 2-5 years, I see this block disappearing
completely. More and more systems use a database server and a
web-based frontend. Now you just need a browser. Suddenly
more and more companies need a powerful database sysem rather
than just an access system, are installing dedicated systems
to act as a database server and a webapplication server,"
explains McHerron.

You are now also getting centralised hosting, the ASP
(application service providers) model.

Says he: "Suddenly with these, you've got MySQL or Postgres
as your database, Apache as your webserver, PHP for your
logic, and who cares what the client is doing!"

At the moment, a lot of development is still being done in
DotNET, where you still need a Windows environment to run
ActiveX and things like that (other embedded objects). But
it's becoming much more generic," explains McHerron (39).

WITHIN APC ASIA

But within the network of APC members in Asia, there are some
strong feelings about the need to promote FLOSS.

Bobby Soriano's IPD in the Philippines is campaining
"internally" for that group to migrate to FLOSS. Bobby is
himself actively involved with FLOSS advocacy. Says he: "We
have a 20-computer FLOSS training facility. Organisations get
a time slot to use these facilities, to learn."

Says Ahmed of VOICE, APC's newish member in Dhaka,
Bangladesh: "We get convinced about the need for FLOSS. The
quiestion is how to do it, and how to be acquainted.
Technically, we lack the knowledge."

Australia-based APC-member C20 did a survey on attitudes of
non-profit organisations towards FLOSS. This is currently
under processing. They also did work on FLOSS in higher
education for UNESCO in Paris.

BytesForAll's Readers list
[http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bytesforall_readers] has been
active in promoting FLOSS ideas and campaigns. Its members
have also played a role in networking GNU/Linux user-groups
across South Asia (there are 130+ in India itself). Besides,
the BytesForAll network has been actively trying to build
FLOSS bridges of friendship across the conflict-prone region
of South Asia.

One suggestion that came up was to promote the 'transfer of
knowledge' by making available technology magazines from the
North to readers in the South.

At APC's Asia-Pacific members' meet held in the coastal
Australian city of Sydney recently, some felt it was
important for APC's concerned members to focuss on the
challenges that block the wider implementation of FLOSS,and
also look close as to what APC as a group would manage.

From the Phillipines, FMA (the Foundation for Media
Alternatives) is offering individual trainings and sessions
with NGOs. They have finished working on a 'FLOSS and
education' paper. Recently, they also entered the world of
'websining' (linking FLOSS and creative workers). FMA's Al
Alegre says this is something "beyond our normal comfort
zone". This group also is part of Bukas, an "open platform"
made up of 17 likeminded organisatinos, to promote the ideals
of Free Software and Open Source.

From South Korea, Jinbonet's PatchA says: "We've been using
FLOSS in several activites. Number 1 among these is for our
hosting server operation, webmail, and blogs. Also, we have a
project to provide internet tool for setting up websitew. We
have held a workshop on how to use FLOSS, (the popular
browser) Firefox and (email client) Thunderbird. In Korea
people familiar with (proprietorial software's) Microsoft
platform. FLOSS is a small community, but growing."

LOCALISATION TOO

Kong 'Da' Sidaroth of the Open Institute at Phnom Penh in
Cambodia says: "The FLOSS localisation project (in Cambodia)
started because of the idea that there is no computer
application available in Khmer. So students, government or
officials wanting to use a computer, have to first learn
English."

Sidaroth herself graduated in Computer Science and
Engineering in 2002, and has worked with non-profits. She
attended the Asia Source 2 camp held earlier in 2007 in
Indonesia. Source camps are an attempt at promoting links
between FLOSS and non-profit organisations.

Sidaroth works on a network for e-learning of knowledge
sharing to train institutions and conduct research on the
state of e-learning in Cambodia.

"(In the Cambodian localisation-of-software campaign) we
translated applications that people already use -- email,
internet, office. These software can also be used on a
(properietorial) Microsoft platform. But they are all Open
Source. People have started to shift to FLOSS (after tools in
local langauge came out there)," says she.

In Cambodia, they've also developed training material, and
provided training to trainers. Says Sidaroth: "We also work
on a FLOSS project in collaboration with the government. We
want the government to adopt FLOSS because of the economic
situation in the country."

MEMBERS INVOLVED

Chat Ramilo points out that some APC members and individuals
have been involved in FLOSS projects in the Asia-Pacific
region, such as the Asia Source Camps, and mapping of
contributors to FLOSS.

With the 'regionalising' of the IOSN (International Open
Source Network), whose agenda is to promote FLOSS in the
Asia-Pacific region, non-profit groups hope to work even more
actively with the SouthEastAsia+3 regional nodes set up in
the area.

In Pakistan, the OSRC (Open Source Resource Centre) has
launched an NGO (non-government organisation) toolkit,
according to Shahzad of BytesForAll.

Says Chat Ramilo: "Some (APC members) are beginning to look
at FLOSS and are interested. Others are plugged into networks
doing work into FOSS already. This time (the Asia Source 2
camp) had 40% women participation. We did quite a lot of work
in recommending as many women as we could."

APC member in the Philippines FMA has argued in another
context: "Because of its open and free nature, the use and
adoption of FOSS in the Philippines can have profound
benefits whether used in the public or private sector. In a
landmark research done by the European Commission, it was
found that adoption and use of FOSS can result in significant
political, economic and social benefits."

FMA believes that "by adopting policies that support or
advocate greater and more extensive use of F[L]OSS", the
Philippines can reap the benefits of: lower ICT costs;
interoperability of systems; vendor independence; better
security; decrease software piracy in the country;
development of a local ICT industry; increased competition;
reduced imports and conservation of foreign exchange; and
guaranteed access to information and knowledge.

As FMA puts it, the advantages of FLOSS can no longer be
seriously doubted. (ENDS)
--
Frederick Noronha Journalist http://fn.goa-india.org
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