If there is something that unites the governments of the last twenty years, regardless of colours, coalitions and political affiliations, it is the substantial deafness to the role that free software and open source can play in the management of public institutionsnot only in terms of efficiency, safety and savings, but also, lastly, to help solve the problem of citizens’ income recipients qualified as “employable” and therefore destined to no longer receive the subsidy.
It is undisputed that the use of “free” systems and software makes it possible to maintain control over hardware obsolescence and to prolong its life well beyond the “lifecycle” unilaterally established by the manufacturers. Similarly, the use of open formats frees administrations from the constraint of having to update programs and applications only because of incompatibilities introduced without a real technological need (an example is the case of the patch that makes Apple’s latest operating system work even on perfectly capable but “unsupported”). The issue has been on the executive table for decades, but too little has been done.
Work
The happy island of public administration where smart working works. The PagoPa case
by Archangel Rociola
It is true: pragmatically one should consider that replacing the proprietary systems used in central administration can be very complex and have a very high final costor, such as to discourage even the thought of doing so (but one should ask why we tied our hands ourselves). On the contrary, the very numerous clients used by the PA could be more easily reconverted by training “employable” people to carry out these activities and then employing them to “knock out” local and central institutions. In addition to revitalizing computers that don’t necessarily need to be replaced, the “employables” could continue to provide support and maintenance services so as to receive a salary which would therefore replace the subsidy and leave public resources in the territory, rather than overseas (Atlantic or Pacific, it doesn’t make much difference).
fantasy administration? No, because projects like Refurbishing Ninja, aimed at the conscious reuse of hardware and software, have always existed —already in 2005 a small technical institute in Abruzzo, De Sterlich, demonstrated that it was possible to save money and generate induced income with free software— and everywhere. Igniting the spark of free software in public administrations is not impossible. It’s difficult, but it can be done. Just want it.