Re: [ga] All of Vietnam's Government Computers To Use Linux, By Fiat

["Jeffrey A. Williams" <jwkckid1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Karl and all,

  I posted earlier on a seperate thread that Browser security holes
such as significant firefox which is the borwser of edict now by the
Vietnamese government.  Ergo this thread as a follow-on.  I had
supposed that the GA readers were paying attention.  If not, that
is not a situation that I can rectify.

Here are the links, See:
https://blog.startcom.org/?p=125
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=460374
https://blog.startcom.org/?p=145

  However I do, and have recognized that those left on the GA forum
are of the social science varity and are less than technically adept, 
as well as still do not recognize that the Internet and it's use is 
largely governed and operated based on existing technical state of 
the art.

  There are no social solutions to technical problems or issues.  There
are however sometimes technical solutions to Social problems and/or
issues.

  So again, it is very clear that the Vietnamese governments decision
seems to at a minimum be a far less than reasonably informed one...

"Karl E. Peters" wrote:

> Not at all clear Jeffrey, no offense, but there was nothing in your
> writing or in the referenced article that did not revolve around the
> use of Linux and other open source software on government servers.
> Perhaps you should clarify a bit...    -Karl E. Peters
>
>      -------- Original Message --------
>      Subject: Re: [ga] All of Vietnam's Government Computers To
>      Use Linux,
>      By Fiat
>      From: "Jeffrey A. Williams" <jwkckid1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>      Date: Wed, January 07, 2009 9:12 pm
>      To: "Karl E. Peters" <tlda@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>      Cc: ICANN SSAC <ssac@xxxxxxxxx>, Nguyen Thu Hue
>      <huenguyen@xxxxxxxxx>,
>      GAC Rep <ssene@xxxxxxxxxxxx>, DOC/NTIA ICANN Rep
>      <aheineman@xxxxxxxxxxxx>, Ga <ga@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>      Karl and all,
>
>      I nor any of our members have any problem with the "Linux"
>      part
>      of the announcment. I thought I made that clear?
>
>      "Karl E. Peters" wrote:
>
>      > Jeffrey and others,
>      > I would respectfully disagree on the impact of the
>      decision to
>      > mandate government computers use Linux. MS is moving
>      toward a
>      > situation where you can not own your software but must
>      perpetually
>      > lease, thus making one forever dependent on good relations
>      with MS
>      > (and LOTs of money!) to keep ones computers operating
>      smoothly. The
>      > backdoors they leave so they can police their licenses are
>      a
>      > playground for malicious hackers that one rarely, if ever,
>      experiences
>      > with Linux. Linux and the associated applications have
>      come a long way
>      > in interoperability with the MS world and the GUI of
>      Ubuntu (My
>      > favroite flavor of Linux) is very easy and familiar to
>      navigate for
>      > Windows graduates. Finally, the hardware required to run a
>      full-blown
>      > Linux world is far less demanding than to run the very
>      bloated and
>      > resource-hogging new MS systems, especially the new
>      "Vista" that even
>      > MS is trying to distance themselves from in some respects.
>
>      > In an age where the US is finally learning that pouring
>      lots of
>      > needless money out for resources we have at home more
>      cheaply, we
>      > should not criticize Vietnam for stopping the software
>      expense
>      > bleeding of money outside when there is a well-maintained
>      and free OS
>      > beckoning them that makes it nearly painless to switch
>      over.
>      > Personally, I had become addicted to the GUI of Windows
>      for lack
>      > of real programming skills and being a rather lousy
>      typist, but when
>      > working on some projects for Africa and seeking out
>      cheaper
>      > alternatives for use there, I was shown Ubuntu and NOW,
>      even my kids,
>      > who love games, want to switch their fancy media laptop
>      from Vista to
>      > Ubuntu. I still use both systems and am making the switch
>      slowly in
>      > the last few months, but there is no evident reason why a
>      capable user
>      > of Ubuntu could not compete in a MS world and eventually
>      win it over!
>      > I wish the US government would try to save a little money
>      that way!!!
>      > -Karl E. Peters, President
>      > Top-Level Domain Association, Inc.
>      >
>      >
>      >
>      > -------- Original Message --------
>      > Subject: [ga] All of Vietnam's Government Computers To Use
>
>      > Linux, By
>      > Fiat
>      > From: "Jeffrey A. Williams" <jwkckid1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>      > Date: Wed, January 07, 2009 2:24 am
>      > To: Ga <ga@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>      > Cc: ICANN SSAC <ssac@xxxxxxxxx>, Nguyen Thu Hue
>      > <huenguyen@xxxxxxxxx>,
>      > GAC Rep <ssene@xxxxxxxxxxxx>, DOC/NTIA ICANN Rep
>      > <aheineman@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
>      >
>      >
>      > All,
>      >
>      > How Orwellion! So much for Net Nutrality here. >:( Given
>      > the recent security holes in Firefox as well, it seems
>      that
>      > such
>      > a dictatorial decision by the Ministry of Information and
>      > Communication in Vietnam is a foolish one as well. Perhaps
>
>      > Eric can pursuade them to rethink this decision lest
>      Vietnam
>      >
>      > wishes to see a stark reduction in ecommerce and find
>      > themselves
>      > de-routed or filtered in accordance with the recent FCC
>      > ruling, accordingly...
>      >
>      > See:
>      > The Vietnamese Ministry of Information and Communications
>      > has issued
>      > an administrative ruling
>      > http://english.vietnamnet.vn/tech/2009/01/822425/
>      > increasing the use of Free Open Source Software products
>      at
>      > state
>      > agencies, increasing the software's use both in the back
>      > office and on
>      > the desktop.
>      > According to the new rule, 100% of government servers must
>
>      > run Linux by
>      > June 30, 2009, and 70% of agencies must use
>      OpenOffice.org,
>      > Mozilla
>      > Firefox, and Mozilla Thunderbird by the end of 2009. The
>      > regulation also
>      >
>      > sets benchmarks for training and proficiency in the
>      > software. Vietnam
>      > has a population of 86 million, 4 million larger than that
>
>      > of Germany,
>      > and is one of
>      > the world's fastest-growing economies.
>      >
>      > Regards,
>      >
>      > Spokesman for INEGroup LLA. - (Over 284k
>      > members/stakeholders strong!)
>      > "Obedience of the law is the greatest freedom" -
>      > Abraham Lincoln
>      > "YES WE CAN!" Barack ( Berry ) Obama
>      >
>      > "Credit should go with the performance of duty and not
>      with
>      > what is
>      > very often the accident of glory" - Theodore Roosevelt
>      >
>      > "If the probability be called P; the injury, L; and the
>      > burden, B;
>      > liability depends upon whether B is less than L multiplied
>
>      > by
>      > P: i.e., whether B is less than PL."
>      > United States v. Carroll Towing (159 F.2d 169 [2d Cir.
>      1947]
>      >
>      >
>      ===============================================================
>
>      >
>      > Updated 1/26/04
>      > CSO/DIR. Internet Network Eng. SR. Eng. Network data
>      > security IDNS.
>      > div. of Information Network Eng. INEG. INC.
>      > ABA member in good standing member ID 01257402 E-Mail
>      > jwkckid1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>      > My Phone: 214-244-4827
>      >
>      >
>      >
>      Regards,
>
>      Spokesman for INEGroup LLA. - (Over 284k
>      members/stakeholders strong!)
>      "Obedience of the law is the greatest freedom" -
>      Abraham Lincoln
>      "YES WE CAN!" Barack ( Berry ) Obama
>
>      "Credit should go with the performance of duty and not with
>      what is
>      very often the accident of glory" - Theodore Roosevelt
>
>      "If the probability be called P; the injury, L; and the
>      burden, B;
>      liability depends upon whether B is less than L multiplied
>      by
>      P: i.e., whether B is less than PL."
>      United States v. Carroll Towing (159 F.2d 169 [2d Cir. 1947]
>
>      ===============================================================
>
>      Updated 1/26/04
>      CSO/DIR. Internet Network Eng. SR. Eng. Network data
>      security IDNS.
>      div. of Information Network Eng. INEG. INC.
>      ABA member in good standing member ID 01257402 E-Mail
>      jwkckid1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>      My Phone: 214-244-4827
>
>
Regards,

Spokesman for INEGroup LLA. - (Over 284k members/stakeholders strong!)
"Obedience of the law is the greatest freedom" -
   Abraham Lincoln
"YES WE CAN!"  Barack ( Berry ) Obama

"Credit should go with the performance of duty and not with what is
very often the accident of glory" - Theodore Roosevelt

"If the probability be called P; the injury, L; and the burden, B;
liability depends upon whether B is less than L multiplied by
P: i.e., whether B is less than PL."
United States v. Carroll Towing  (159 F.2d 169 [2d Cir. 1947]
===============================================================
Updated 1/26/04
CSO/DIR. Internet Network Eng. SR. Eng. Network data security IDNS.
div. of Information Network Eng.  INEG. INC.
ABA member in good standing member ID 01257402 E-Mail
jwkckid1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
My Phone: 214-244-4827