Comments on: European Open Source Projects: pay once should be enough

By: Roberto Galoppini

Roberto Galoppini — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 15:18:15 +0000

Well, I like the story, you admit slightly off-topic indeed, and I believe that Summer of Code is definitely a good thing. We can’t say Google is running an open source business model, though, but it is contributing a lot, and that is definitely a good thing.

By: gaidin

gaidin — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 15:00:13 +0000

About Google, the whole situation of fearing an american centric domination through what google is trying to do with the summer of code or the Library, reminds me of a joke that was circulated by email.

A kind woman from Human Ressources decided to celebrate christmas at work by giving a special meal to the employees, and a $30 voucher each. Soon, she received a complain from the non-christian employees who requested their respective holiday to be celebrated as well. Next came all the vegetarians, claiming that they were being set aside from the rest of the company because of the meat-happy special meal.
And finally, the Unions kicked in, claiming that the voucher was utterly unequal, that it should be increased for larger families ; and rather than vouchers, the fund should be better used towards a nursery for everyone instead.

The story ends with her having a nervous break-down.

By: Roberto Galoppini

Roberto Galoppini — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 10:29:05 +0000

I see your point Gaidin, and that is what I am concerned about: how is it possible that EC keeps accepting overlapping projects? My suspect, and I am not alone here, is that EC is lacking of skilled evaluators, turning in random results, as its best. I do know evaluators that recommended me to apply just for this reason. I applied twice but I have never got a single answer. But the pie is getting bigger and bigger, and firms are not staying at the window, of course. You mentioned firms' dimension as an issue, and you might be right in this respect. EC recognizing that "Europe is good for SMEs and SMEs are good for Europe" is trying to make public calls for tender more accessible for small companies.

If a company, or individual, finds that EU laws, and the rules of the single market, are not being properly put into practice or interpreted by public authorities, entrepreneurs can find a solution by contacting the Commission’s online SOLVIT service

By the way you cited Google Summers' of code, and I agree is a good example but.. while Google is a big company, they are not begging money from the State, and it makes a huge difference to me..

By: gaidin

gaidin — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 09:41:45 +0000

I have had a presentation of all the projects you mentionned at the beginning, and except EDOS, I’ve had the same feeling as yours : they are overlapping, and aren’t going to produce anything beside reports.
Qualipso seems a little different, though.
I must say, the weight of the industrial partners in those projects makes the topic of interests very far from what we consider “useful”, as “we” are more interested in improving the code base rather than making money, nor are we fighting a stupid US vs EC economic war.
Also, most Free Software Communities, that are not political conglomerates, have no voice to be heard. That discards in a very effective way any useful idea.

I think the only good funding for actual useful Free Software comes from Google’s Summer of code.

By: Flavia

Flavia — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 17:59:38 +0000

Your post it is a kind of “mental floss”, a tentative to bring some light in the matter.