NewsForge: Open Source in Mexico - Part Two
Feb 14, 2003, 09:00 (0 Talkback[s])
(Other stories by Robin Miller)
"While attending CONSOL 2003, I quickly realized that the Open
Source movement in Mexico is just barely starting to discover
business--or perhaps it's the other way around. In many ways, the
idea of Open Source is much more political in Mexico than in the
U.S., and there is a uniquely Mexican holdback to Open Source
adoption that is, sadly, a reflection of some of the worst aspects
of Mexican corporate and political culture.
"Mexico has a far greater rich/poor divide than the U.S. or
Canada. Most of the country's largest companies are built on
multi-generation inherited wealth. Tales of ordinary
people--especially of poor people from the countryside or small
towns--clawing their way into the middle and upper classes through
innovation or business acumen are comparatively rare...
"Many of the educators I met in Mexico told me they see Linux
and Open Source as a way to bring 21st Century technical employment
opportunities to all Mexicans, not just to the upper
classes..."
Complete
Story
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