I know it's a dangerous nit-picky audit trail to start down, but I hate it when I find out that a #charity I donate to spends money on #proprietary software. It makes me want to stop donating, because I know there's a huge amount of money being wasted on something that can and should be $0. Like, without question, $0, if not supportive of #opensource.
(And yes, I know sometimes charitable orgs get $0 proprietary software, but rarely is it $0 across the board.)
@RussSharek Been there, done that!
I like to think that the answer is direct action: volunteer, replace $proprietary with open source. But orgs decline (effectively "we'd RATHER spend your donations on infrastructure") or find a deal on $proprietary and fail to see associated hidden costs, etc.
It's pretty frustrating. I don't understand how activists who can chain themselves to a tree can't be bothered to wean themselves off $evil_corporation's software. [generic hyperbole intentional]
In this case it was a bunch of people who's experience was from a corporate background, and so they could only really wrap their heads around one way of looking at technology.
Sad, and costly.
Truth be told the tech has gotten even better since, and I could only imagine what I could build now.
@klaatu Or at least donate the money you would've spent to the project, which is a much better cause than supporting proprietary SW. But I've found that a lot of companies and charities are willing to spend thousands on proprietary software, yet donate $0 to open-source.
It's mostly down to silly optics. They think buying software makes it 'professional', whereas the one asking for donations isn't, because they think otherwise that software would've also been proprietary.
@klaatu The fact that for some people is about ideology and principles doesn't even occur to them, which speaks volumes about how these decision makers in influential positions think.
@MatejLach @klaatu
@RussSharek
Has anyone compiled a list of such organizations that DO use open source? Sometimes it only takes the "right" voice or peer for other peers to take notice and take the time to understand?
I could see you doing a TED talk on this, and causing a wave to form.
🌊
@randynose @MatejLach @RussSharek
I guess it kinda relies on being vocal. Like, critical mass and all that. But doesn't everything.
It's certainly worth some further thought. I guess my only real talking point right now is "Here's why spending your donations on software is a dump move." The trick, as ever, is to get past the "but we don't pay for Windows or Office because of techsoup.org" and demonstrate that $proprietary often inhibits others from being $open.
@klaatu @MatejLach @RussSharek
Wow. Never heard of Techsoup. OK. Yea, you'd have to get past the fact that of these places are SO so So kind to GIVE you (or charge only a little) for their software that you're used to using....
Holy Crap... They want 585 for a SP3 bundle... Crap hardware!
@randynose @MatejLach @RussSharek In practise, there's a LOT of "the first hit is free" stuff, a bit of "nah, it's just $0 no worries" and some "well we'll give it to you for half price" but it adds up. To say nothing of planned obsolescence which drives up hardware costs, etc.
I almost have a Talk here....
@klaatu @MatejLach @RussSharek
Yup. You do.
But it's time that I unplug and spend some time with the wife and cat. Or maybe I should say, spend more time paying attention to THEM... while watching a show before bed.... LOL..
Nice to catch you online. :)
@klaatu
I ran into this once with an organization. Ended up building them an entire network out of used and donated hardware and free software for less than the cost of one proprietary desktop.
Worst part? Someone got a 'good deal' on Ms office, which led them to trashing all of my work and spending thousands on new hardware.
At which point I threw in the towel and walked away from helping them.