Re: [LUG] Exeter: what do we want public policy to be?

[<nick@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sun, 21 Jul 2002, Adrian Midgley wrote:

> I'd appreciate members' indulgence here, and a considerable degree of care 
> and precision in replies in this thread.
>
> I propose we decide whather there are particular elements of public policy 
> that we would like our representatives to take forward to City Hall, County 
> Hall,  Westminster and Brussels.

I'm going to reply in too much haste to give the care and attention you
are asking for.  However, since you have raised an important subject
that has been on my mind (and I suspect everyone else's) for some time,
let me throw a couple of thoughts in.

> The purchasing policies and certain design criteria for software in the 
> public sector;

We have of course some splendid input from Peru on the subject of open
source, and can fairly easily draft a few bullet points (software whose
development is funded by the tapayer should be opensource; purchases
of or incorporating preexisting software should favour opensource with
a presumption that anyone selecting closed source be required to
justify their choice in detail).

More important, however, are open standards.  Even a closed-source
system is not a serious hazard provided it is interoperable and
precludes the danger of vendor lock-in:

 * Software designed to be accessed by members of the public must me
   made available over the Internet, and must conform fully to the
   applicable standards of bodies such as the IETF and W3C - with
   automatic penalty clauses on suppliers failing to do so.

 * In exceptional cases, existing standards may not be sufficient for
   a new system.  However, there must be a presumption in favour of
   established standards.  A supplier wishing to introduce a new
   standard must (a) justify the decision to do so in a public and
   open consultation process, and (b) publish full and open specs
   before any system requiring them becomes operational.

 * Web Systems and software must meet the W3C Web Content Accessibility
   Guidelines, to ensure accessibility to the disabled and to users
   of client software that is not explicitly supported.
   Note: it is not sufficient to support one or more selected assistive
   technology, as doing so is inherently a barrier to some users (this
   is particularly relevent regarding "accessible" Flash).

 * Software must always use open and properly documented data formats.
   Proprietary formats may also be supported (e.g. as "export to", or
   in a list of options available to users), but must never be the
   primary format of a system or repository.

 * Security through encryption and/or physical means (lock&key) is
   acceptable.  Security through obscurity or obfuscation is not.
   Corollary: wherever security is a concern, systems must be absolutely
   open and documented to the highest standards.

> The intermediate target would be a range of briefings prepared for local use, 
> and for national use


Thank you for raising this!

-- 
Nick Kew


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