Open-Source Computing for the People: Can the Dream Become Reality?
Tuesday, May 30, 2006, 2:50

Speakers:
Allen Gunn, Executive Director, Aspiration (http://www.aspirationtech.org/)
Michal Mach, Internet Technologist, Tactical Technology Collective (http://www.tacticaltech.org/)
Jonathan Peizer, Consultant, Internaut Consulting (http://www.internautconsulting.com/)

Immoderator:
Rob Cottingham, President, Social Signal (http://www.socialsignal.com/)

Note taker:
Willow Cook

Rather than (in their words) "pontificating," the speakers decided "get interactive, drawing on the experience, perspective, and questions in the room, [creating] a fun, free-form dialogue."

In an interactive exercise, session participants were whether they believed open-source software was a reality for nonprofits, or just a dream. With most participants falling somewhere in the middle, the group came up with arguments for why open-source software could work in the nonprofit world, or whether it was still not a practical solution.

Dream:
•    "There's a lot to be worked on, and turning people onto [open source] is a big deal. Nonprofits think, 'You can use it, but what about us?'"
•    "Usability, which you can't underestimate; [if the end product isn't usable], it can put whole movement back."
•    "[Lack of] usability and documentation drives me away."
•    "As an implementer, I can use all open-source tools, but this is not a reality for nonprofits. A user's relationship [to technology] is almost entirely aesthetic. Because open source is unfamiliar, it is hard to implement."

Reality:
•    "One word: Firefox."
•    "There is a philosophy inherent in the production of open-source software that is inherent in community activism."

Somewhere in Between:
•    "OpenOffice for nonprofits is here and so is Microsoft Office."
•    "Three years ago, my business partners and I tried to find a good open-source CMS and failed. Now there is Drupal, which I think is ready to use."
•    "It's a hybrid environment: it's what makes sense for the user."
•    "Complacency will kill [the open-source movement]. We should never remain static, always push forward."
•    "It's difficult to convince organizations to use anything more than Firefox. Nonprofits don't recognize connection between technology and their mission; they are more focused on the bottom line. How do you convince organizations to embrace open source?"
•    "The open-source localization process is demanding. [Open source] will contribute a lot to the NGO sector, but it takes time, especially in areas where English is not the predominant language. NGOs need additional training, which isn't first on the agenda. Abroad, open source is not as big as a movement as it is in the English-speaking world."
•    "Usability today is better than it's rumored to be. Now, it's a chicken-and-egg problem: Not enough people use it, so I'm not going to use it."
•    "Nonprofit staff should be central to nonprofit software. There is an ecosystem of tools that nonprofits use; the dream is to have tools that co-evolve with the open-source movement."

Following the interactive exercise, the session speakers posed a series of questions to the crowd. Below are some of the responses.

1. How do we develop better open-source software for nonprofits?

"There needs to be a simple explanation of what open source is for those who are not tech savvy, to explain open source so that nonprofits can grasp its benefits. This could have a lot to do with the use of language -- how programmers and developers speak versus how those in the community speak. The challenge is, how do we bridge that gap?"

"There is also the Issue of visibility. As developers, we obsess about the tool, not the big picture. Technologists need to get better at obsessing about how to make the world a better place. We need to make the leap from 'Look at this functionality!' to 'Look how the world is becoming a better place.'"

"Solutions should depend on what is the best tool for [the user]. Usually people just want something that works well. There are only a few situations where OpenOffice is a better tool than Microsoft Office. Yet most people who need to convert photos don't need Photoshop; they can use Gimp -- but they don't know it exists."

"With office software, expectations are constant. But for Web sites, expectations are constantly changing, [and developers are] constantly trying to catch up and explain to clients. How can you communicate what open-source means? One idea is to have good role models, as it's always easy to imitate."

"Use local voices to speak to a global nonprofit audience. Have cases where it's a clear win to go with open source, [or offer] a list of recommended cases where open source is the right solution."

"As a developer, you have to appreciate that there are over a million nonprofits around the world that are small and don't employ techies. Nonprofits can lack even the basics; the idea that someone will be there to implement a new technology is a fallacy in most nonprofits around the world. Technology for nonprofits needs to be technology and service for nonprofits, unlike other sectors that can digest new technology because they can support it internally."

"Open source needs to be a question of giving the nonprofits power. Nonprofits need to be closer to trailing edge, which is inconsistent with the overall sexy ethos of most technology. Need more mediation, like eRiders. This is at the center of the dialogue."

2. What open-source tools are ready for nonprofits to use off the shelf?

"Firefox, Gimp, OpenOffice, Drupal, Apache, PostFix, Ubutu."

"A better way to phrase the issue is, 'These [open-source applications] are worth considering depending on what your requirements are.'"

"Astrix, which is far superior to almost anything you have to pay for."

"Samba as a PDC."

"M0n0wall, based on FreeBSD. It's a good alternative to a proprietary firewall."

3. What are the red flags that a nonprofit isn't ready for open source?

"Nonprofits want to see other nonprofits that have already used it successfully. Open source has been oversold; it can get shifted off when it has been adopted too early."

"Support for the platform. With Drupal, for example, you have the community if you there is a problem. With other [open-source applications], there is no support if your techie leaves."

"If a techie starts with ideology, that's a red flag. But if open source comes up as an option after some conversation, after [he or she] has listed to you, that's a green flag."

"Nonprofits should give specific feedback to developers to help improve [the applications they use]."

"A green flag: a developer should be able to show you a real, comprehensible demo."