Roger Munford wrote:
> Last Friday I went to a meeting about climate change with John Denham
> the Southampton MP and also Minister for "Innovation, Universities and
> Skills".
> I had the chance to talk to him for a couple of minutes after the
> meeting and brought up Open source Software. He is genuinely interested
> and would like an invitation to a LUG meeting.
>
> With no guarantee that he would accept it, it is an opportunity to
> demonstrate OSS and present a few ideas that would he would not normally
> be come across.
> He said that normally the Government (Civil Service) tend to try and do
> whatever everybody else is doing to protect themselves against
> criticism. A good briefing would put OSS slightly closer to normality
> in his perception.
>
> There is abundant presentational talent, experience and intellect in
> the LUG and I could imagine that it would be easy to put together a
> first class presentation.
>
> Along with a demo we should give some background about OS, how it
> started, how it works, why it can be relied upon, why standards are
> important, the market what others are doing, issues around MicroSoft etc.
>
> Southampton's other MP is also very interested so there could be a
> chance of recycling any presentation to other people of influence.
>
> What is the connection between OSS and the environment? I lived in
> Munich for some time and they have an outstanding environmental record
> and some of their ideas could be easily be adopted in the UK. These
> ideas are the product of a very sharp city government. It is no surprise
> that Muinch was one of the first major cities to break with MicroSoft.
>
> What do people think?
Very good idea indeed.
useful to also keep in mind Early day motion 179:
SOFTWARE IN SCHOOLS 21.11.2006
http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=31752&SESSION=885
(The MPs supporting this are listed and I do not see John Denhams name
included. this may mean he has no idea at all of the benefits of FOSS,
or maybe that he took a party political view)
--
alan cocks
Kubuntu user#10391
