Using open source software - VCS experiences
I posted a while back on the potential for VCOs to use open source software. I sounded a cautious note about whether organisations were ready to use open source and David Wilcox also raised a few challenges:
- How far are staff in voluntary and community organisations likely to take the time and trouble to use social software unless there is a compelling benefit?
- How likely are they to use open source software, which may be free and desirable for various reasons, but presents otherchallenges of installation, configuration and unsupported use?
- How likely are they to share?
Which is why I’m so glad to read these accounts of the experiences of the organisations participating in the East of England FOSS in the VCS project.
Many participants are using both open source and their usual MS systems on different machines but most seem pleasantly surprised by the experience of using open source. I look forward to reading more as the project continues…
April 5th, 2006 at 12:31 pm
It is interesting, but it depends on lots of different things. For example, we’ve switched from Linux/Lotus Notes to MS Exchange/Outlook because there are more support options and, therefore, it is ultimately cheaper.
Similarly, in small organisations, are there the time and resources to train up people in new bits of software when everyone is familiar with MS Office etc…?
Having said that, the options are increasingly interesting: we’re already using del.icio.us for collaborative bookmarking as an organisation (and using the feed to create web content) and looking at stuff like basecamp for networks. But it has to be fit to purpose. “Ethically”, this sector should walk the talk (who’s you broadband provider), but also has to get best value for money and use its resources (of all types) as effectively as possible.