-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [techfunders] "Handbook of Research on Open Source Software:
Technological, Eco nomic, and Social Perspectives"
CALLS FOR CHAPTERS
For the Edited Collection
"Handbook of Research on Open Source Software: Technological, Economic, and
Social Perspectives"
Edited by Kirk St.Amant and Brian Still, Texas Tech University
SUBMISSION DEADLINE OCT. 1, 2005
INTRODUCTION
The decision to purchase or to use a particular software product can be the
choice that results in the success or the failure of an organization. For
this
reason, decision makers at different levels and in a variety of fields need
to
understand the factors that contribute to the effective adoption and use of
software products. Open source software (OSS) is increasingly viewed as a
viable option that can allow a variety or public and private organizations
to achieve their desired goals. OSS adoption and use, however, is
complicated by the social agendas and the economic goals many individuals
attach to the use of OSS materials.
OBJECTIVE OF THE BOOK
The purpose of this handbook is to provide readers with a foundational
understanding of the origins, operating principles, legalities, social
factors,
and economic forces that affect the uses of OSS. For this reason, the
proposed
handbook would focus on areas and concepts essential to understanding when
and
how various organizations should adopt OSS. Chapters would present short
(3,500-5,000 word), focused perspectives on a particular aspect of OSS
adoption
and/or use. Such perspectives would be designed to help businesspersons,
researchers, and other decision makers make more informed choices that would
facilitate the ease and effectiveness with which their organization used or
interacted with OSS products.
TARGET AUDIENCE FOR THE HANDBOOK
The target audience for this handbook would be five groups that would use
this
text for a variety of reasons.
??? Executives, manager, and administrators in business, government, and
education, and academia
??? Researchers investigating the history, uses, and perspectives (social
and
economic) related to OSS
??? Librarians working for corporate, government, or educational
organizations
??? Graduate instructors and graduate students in MIS, MBA, and PhD programs
??? Individuals in organizations that have adopted or are considering
adopting OSS for certain activities
Recommended Topics
Prospective subject areas and specific topics for this publication include,
but
are not limited to, the following
HISTORY AND BACKGROUND OF OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE
??? Presenting a history of the hacker: From MIT to today
??? Discussing free software, Richard Stallman, and GNU: A history and a
look at
influences on OSS
??? Overviewing the development of Linux (or history of development of
other free
software/OSS tools)
??? Overviewing the history of OSS
??? Annotated bibliography (bibliographies) of different online or print
sources
on OSS
OSS CULTURE AND PRACTICES: DEFINITIONS AND EXPLANATIONS
??? Defining who the OSS developer/hacker is (motivations, influences,
skills,
demographics)
??? Defining what OSS culture is
??? Examining how OSS projects work: Explaining how they differ from
proprietary
projects
??? Explaining differences in object code vs. source code
COMPARISONS AND EVALUATIONS OF OSS TO OTHER PRODUCTS
??? Discussing the strengths and weaknesses of OSS in comparison to
Proprietary
Software
??? Reviewing OSS development model vs. proprietary software development
model
??? Comparing OSS developer to proprietary software developer
??? Reviewing customer service, customer support and OSS
??? Evaluating OSS content management systems (CMS): How do you know which
one to
choose?
??? Examining desktop publishing: What OSS alternatives exist to Windows?
Drawbacks? Future Trends?
??? Examining OSS security systems
BUSINESS CASES AND INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS OF OSS
??? Discussing what is needed to use OSS? Staffing requirements, on-site
technical
expertise, budget, etc.
??? Examining how should OSS be evaluated??"when do you know you should
adopt or
pass on OSS?
??? Presenting case studies of OSS evaluation and adoption
??? Overviewing the Apache Internet Server and its strong niche in the
market
??? Discussing profitable OSS business models: Case studies or other models
successful OSS use
??? Reporting on IBM and support of OSS
??? Discussing how OSS threatens Microsoft, and/or how Microsoft responds
to this
threat
??? Applying OSS business models outside of software in other industries:
What
examples already exist?
??? Besides Linux, what other examples of OSS successes exist?
LICENSING AND LEGALITIES RELATED TO OSS
??? Explaining GPL and Copyleft??"the first license: define it, explain how
it
works, address controversy
??? Overviewing and comparing the most popular OSS licenses
??? Creative Commons, copyrighting documentation, non-software creative work
??? Discussing which license to choose: What does the user need to know?
??? Comparing OSS licensing to Proprietary Software Licensing
??? Examining license proliferation: Why are there so many licenses and what
problems can this cause?
??? Exploring licensing choices: Benefits and limitations of OSS licenses
??? Overviewing licensing and product development: What does the user need
to
know?
??? Ripping multimedia: The Copyright Problems Related to OSS Use
??? Privacy, Security, and Surveillance: Cryptography and Government Control
??? Whose Code is it Anyway? The conflict between SCO and Linux
??? Explaining intellectual property issues involving copyleft and the GPL,
or of
OSS in general
INTERNATIONAL ISSUES AND DEVELOPMENTS RELATED TO OSS USE
??? The EU??(tm)s Adoption of OSS: A Model for the Future?
??? Culture and Coding: Can We Create International Standards for OSS Use?
??? Wiring the World: The Role of OSS in Shrinking the Global Digital Divide
??? What nations are using OSS and why?
??? International nature of OSS development (e.g., outsourcing, free trade,
cultural barriers)
??? Is Europe and other nations outside the US more OSS friendly? Why or
why not?
??? OSS and global democracy (tools like Camera/Shy and Peekabooty)
??? Legislative acts, OSS, and the free sharing of information in other
nations
??? Case studies of OSS implementation overseas (i.e., governments,
companies, or
organizations)
EDUCATIONAL APPLICATIONS OF OSS
??? Uses of OSS to enhance learning (i.e., Moodle, Drupal)
??? Case studies of OSS alternatives used instead of proprietary software
??? MIT and open courseware
??? Claroline and the Packaging of Distance Education for Online Students
??? Blogging as Educational Activity
GOVERNMENTAL AND NON-PROFIT APPLICATIONS OF OSS
??? Examining OSS Use at the Federal and the Local Levels
??? Getting the Word Out: Government Uses of OSS to Interact with Citizens
??? The Security Factor: National Defense, OSS, and Terrorist Networks
PERSPECTIVES FOR THE FUTURE OF OSS USE
??? Shifting the Model: Will OSS Become a For-Profit Industry?
??? Development Practices: How Will the Code Be Created?
??? Culture and Code: Projections on OSS and Global Computer Use
SUBMISSION PROCEDURE
Authors are invited to submit chapter proposals (one, single-spaced page
maximum) on or before October 1, 2005. In their proposal, perspective
authors
should clearly explain
??? The purpose and the contents of their proposed chapter
??? How their proposed chapter relates to the overall objectives of the book
Authors will be notified of the status of their proposal and sent chapter
organization guidelines by October 30, 2005. Drafts of chapters will be due
by
February 15, 2006.
Please send inquiries or submit material electronically (Rich Text files) to
both editors at kirk.st-amant(a)ttu.edu and brian.still(a)ttu.edu
This book is tentatively scheduled for publishing by Idea Group Reference
(an imprint of Idea Group Inc.) <www.idea-group.com> in Spring 2007.
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* 193.120.144.172 SoftwareFreedomDayWed, 31 Aug 2005 07:00:03 -0000
Anyone out there?
= Software Freedom Day =
+
+ I urgently need input from members so that our SFD plans do not have to be scaled back etc. The most useful thing at present is NOT burning as such, it's ''testing and looking for and deciding'' what to burn.
+
+ If someone can undertake some items on the task list below, I'm more than willing to do more than my share. I REALLY need feedback of any kind at this stage.
+
+ Mel
+
+
+ === Enfuriating problems with software choices ===
+
+ * '''English language educational software:''' People have expressed strong interest in educational software to me this year. This is consistant with last year, where Freeduc was a huge hit. Unfortunately the current Freeduc 1.5 has very little English language software. Oh, and as I remember, the boot: string went most of the way accross the screen to set the language and stop my test laptop hanging. Version 1.5 (Latest). Highlights are also available on Slax.
+ * '''EduUbuntu Breezy:''' Downloaded a nightly build of Edu-Ubuntu, (28 Aug), and it installs etc. Not a live CD but would be suitable for anything 128mb up, and loads of educational stuff, USEFUL stuff. People could use it on ''that old PC'' that they thought would have no more use. Looks even less likely to be in on time for SFD because the Edu stuff is mostly KDE, on a Gnome Desktop. Short answer, the appropriate KDE dependencies have not been brought over yet, and are unlikely to be done in time.
+ * '''Fake Educational CDs''': Do not recommend I check out any of the following without telling me why... ''Debian'' Educational Sarge, ''Lorma'', ''Linux4Kids'', ''Tux4kids'', ''Debian Jr,, as '''none''' of these have '''''CD images''''' available.
+
+ === CD Choices ===
+
+ * ''Note:'' Slax is the easiest to remaster and localise by a long way. For Edu S/W (which users would probably give their kids on '''''the second PC''''') makes it worth considering, especially when you read on...
+
+ * ''Slax'';http://slax.linux-live.org/ Version 5.0.6 comes with UnionFS, qemu and all the latest cool stuff. I noticed there is an (unofficial) module of educational tools. If the installer works (as the last one did) I'd remaster the KillBill version to include the KDE Educational suite, remaster, test and add the OpenCD extras stuff. '''''Help needed RIGHT NOW:''''' Download and install Slax 5.0.6 from [Slax];http://slax.linux-live.org/ and check the installer works and that all is stable. Report back which EXACT version of KDE is installed.
... URL: http://www.ifso.ie/cgi-bin/wiki.cgi/SoftwareFreedomDay?action=diff
* CiaranOriordan IPRED2Wed, 31 Aug 2005 07:00:03 -0000
fix wiki list syntax
- [1] http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/lex/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2005/com2005_0276en…
+ * [1] http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/lex/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2005/com2005_0276en…
- [2] http://www.groklaw.net/pdf/IBM-459-22.pdf
+ * [2] http://www.groklaw.net/pdf/IBM-459-22.pdf
- [3] http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1542915,00.asp
+ * [3] http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1542915,00.asp
- [4] http://www.opensource.org/halloween/halloween10.html
+ * [4] http://www.opensource.org/halloween/halloween10.html
- [5] http://www.computerworld.com/governmenttopics/government/legalissues/story/… Judge calls SCO's lack of evidence "astonishing"
+ * [5] http://www.computerworld.com/governmenttopics/government/legalissues/story/… Judge calls SCO's lack of evidence "astonishing" URL: http://www.ifso.ie/cgi-bin/wiki.cgi/IPRED2?action=diff
Saw this on The Register:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/08/30/european_parliament_software_patent…
Malcohol.
P.S. I seem to send to be sending a lot of news item links to the list.
If enough of you find this annoying (mail me off-list), I'll stop.
___________________________________________________________
To help you stay safe and secure online, we've developed the all new Yahoo! Security Centre. http://uk.security.yahoo.com
All
Can't divulge further details for now, but there is a plentiful supply of Free
PCs being replaced and shipped blank to schools and charitable organisations
upon request. These will be OS-Free, so I'm hopeful of being able to use this
chance to put educational software on them.
EduUbuntu isn't ready right now (see the recent changes on the Wiki), but Regular
Ubuntu WILL be (Breezy). I have set up a SPECIAL email account where you can
make me aware of any interested parties.
For spam protection that account has the initials of "Software Freedom Day"
at Linux Factory dot EyeEe!
Mel
ps: You'll want the spec:
The minimum specification of the PCs is Pentium 3, 128MB of RAM, 10GB hard disk,
733Mgz Processor, a mouse and monitor, there will be no operating system installed
on the PC.
There will be no charge for these PCs
If your agency is interested in acquiring some of these PCs
free of charge can you please submit to me on suitably headed paper a
request for their required number by September 3rd?
*************************** ADVERTISEMENT ******************************
Get BT Broadband from only EUR15 per month! Enjoy always-on internet
for less! Check it out at http://www.btireland.ie
I've put as much info as I can think of about IPRED2 on the wiki:
http://www.ifso.ie/cgi-bin/wiki.cgi/IPRED2
I've also put the text of the letter there, and have either incorporated
people's suggestions or have put them in the todo list before the letter.
So feel free to edit there, or post comments to the list and I or someone
will integrate them.
--
Ciarán O'Riordan, | Support FSFE's work against
http://www.compsoc.com/~coriordan/ | software patents by becoming
| a Fellow: http://fsfe.org
All the criticisms were valid and I think I've encorporated all the
suggestions, plus some other improvements that came to me.
=========================8<----------------------------------
The European Commission has recently published a draft for a
directive[1] "on criminal measures aimed at ensuring the enforcement
of intellectual property rights", COM 2005(276).
There are two justifications. The first is that "counterfeiting and
piracy ... [appear] to be increasingly linked to organised crime."
The second is a citation from Article 17(2) of the Charter of
Fundamental Rights which states that "Intellectual property shall be
protected", however the Commission's text throws Articles 48 and 49 of
that Charter out the window (Presumption of innocence, and
proportionality of punishments).
Irish Free Software Organisation would like to point out that giving
rights-holders increased access to the resources of law enforcement
agencies and introducing harsh punishments for broad categories of
activity is not only inefficient but also fuels activities that are
harmful to society.
The USA has already enacted similar legislation. Like the software
patents issue, this provides valuable evidence about what a mistake it
was. In the USA, a not-profitable company called SCO has accused IBM
of violating their copyrights by mixing some SCO-owned software code
into the kernel of the GNU/Linux operating system. SCO claims that
all users of GNU/Linux have to pay licensing fees to SCO.
This case has been going on for years and many distributors of
GNU/Linux have be dragged into it. The Free Software Foundation,
which holds to the copyright to the largest part of GNU/Linux, and
others have had their time wasted by broad subpoenas. Software users
have been scared away from switching to GNU/Linux because of perceived
uncertainty of it's legal status.
Despite SCO's numerous published claims, and all it's many appearances
in court, they have yet to have even a single claim proven. Not only
this, but it has recently come to light[2] that in 2002, when SCO
conducted a study to search for SCO-owned code in the kernel of
GNU/Linux, the researchers concluded that they "had found absolutely
*nothing*. ie no evidence of any copyright infringement whatsoever".
Also relevant is that this company which is damaging the reputation of
GNU/Linux and businesses based on it is funded by Microsoft[3].
(GNU/Linux is the #1 competitor to Microsoft's Windows operating
system.) A memo, whose authenticity has been confirmed by SCO[4],
shows that Microsoft have given SCO more than $100 million in funding.
Trying to prevent organised crime is a good goal, but the Commission's
draft text will have the opposite effect: it will prevent legitimate
commerce in the EU and it will provide business incentives to abuse of
the law for market-place gain.
The current text allows:
=========has to be reviewed & rewritten====================
Copied verbatim from: http://www.ffii.org.uk/ip_enforce/ipred.html
> * Anton Piller orders (secret court authorisations of raids for
> evidence by the plaintiff's agents -- Article 8);
> * Mareva injunctions (freezing of assets, even before a case has been
> discussed in Court -- Article 10.1);
> * new powers to demand the disclosure of very extensive commercial and
> personal information (Article 9);
> * and the admissibility of denounciations by anonymous witnesses as
> court evidence (Article 8.5).
===========================================================
IFSO requests that:
1. Disputes about patents and trade secrets be taken out of the scope of the
directive altogether. The measures and justifications are completely
inappropriate for such issues.
2. The Directive should only apply where there is intent to infringe
for large scale commercial gain. Small scale gain can't possibly
fund organised crime and should be treated as a civil offence.
3. That issues of copyright should be considered separately to issues
of trademark, and to geographical indications, and plant types, and
patents. Legislation for "intellectual property" is too broad to
be sensible.
[1]
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/lex/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2005/com2005_0276en…
[2] http://www.groklaw.net/pdf/IBM-459-22.pdf
[3] http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1542915,00.asp
[4] http://www.opensource.org/halloween/halloween10.html
=========================8<----------------------------------
--
Ciarán O'Riordan, | Support FSFE's work against
http://www.compsoc.com/~coriordan/ | software patents by becoming
| a Fellow: http://fsfe.org
Here are the notes from the Talk I did in Dublin, which have been updated
for a talk in London, and have been updated slightly since too for some
future talks.
I don't want to distribute this url widely since the notes look like a
transcript (they're 15 pages) and I want to go through them with a fine
tooth comb for mistakes before publishing them properly.
That said, I'm not sure when I'll get around to that, so here's the current
state.
Also, when they're ready they'll go somewhere else (on fsfeurope.org), so I
don't want this URL to be too widespread.
http://www.compsoc.com/~coriordan/swpat-road-ahead.html
--
Ciarán O'Riordan, | Support FSFE's work against
http://www.compsoc.com/~coriordan/ | software patents by becoming
| a Fellow: http://fsfe.org
For the letter, I'm analysing the text of the IPRED2 directive but I'm
having a problem: There are two sets of articles, so which one do we
comment on? or do we comment on both?
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/lex/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2005/com2005_0276en…
It's a 15 page document. On page 5 starts the "Directive of the european
parliament and of the council", and on page 12 starts the "Council framework
decision".
The latter looks to be ok, the punishments are limited to crimes carried out
"under the aegis of a criminal organisation, withing the meaning of the
Framework Decission .... on the fight against organised crime, or where
theycarry a health or safety risk". (The "...." is in the document, it's
not my own, I presume that will be replaced by the documents own number when
it gets one.)
The first set of articles are wretched. Article 3:
"Member States shall ensure that all intentional infringements of an
intellectual property right on a commercial scale, and attempting, aiding
or abetting and inciting such infringements, are treated as criminal
offences."
...so aiding commercial copyright breaches - e.g. publishing software that
can be used to copy music, could be criminal. Copying music could be
"commercial scale" even without any sale taking place because the music
industry will claim that every copy is like robbing 25 euro.
So do we comment on both and who are we talking to. My understanding is
that this directive process requires unanimity in the Council and the
parliament's role is purely advisory. But I'm not sure if that applies to
the two directives here or just the first. Any help appreciated.
--
Ciarán O'Riordan, | Support FSFE's work against
http://www.compsoc.com/~coriordan/ | software patents by becoming
| a Fellow: http://fsfe.org
Interesting development that needs to be noted:
http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1124109330603
Some bits that caught my eye while scanning the article:
"They want to change the U.S. patent system from the uniquely American
first to invent" to "the first to file" standard the rest of the world
uses."
"the lawmakers' goal is to produce legislation that will lead to fewer
and less costly lawsuits."
"One wholly new measure already in use abroad is post-grant opposition
proceedings to keep contested cases before administrative law judges
and out of federal district court."
Good luck,
Malcohol.
___________________________________________________________
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