British Conservative Shadow Chancellor backs "Open Source"! Again. But don't get excited.
Feb 13, 2009, 18:31 (1 Talkback[s])
(Other stories by Gary Richmond)
[ Thanks to steve
hill for this link. ]
"Be afraid. Be very afraid
"The best reaction to Thompson's report however was a comment
that open source should never be used in situations where human
lives were at risk! It must be very comforting for a nuclear
submarine commander under missile launch conditions to be
confronted with a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) or Fatal Exception
Error at the critical moment. If you are prone to sluggish bowel
movements I can save you the price of laxatives. Just consider this
headline: "Windows for Warships nears frontline service:The real
blue screen of death", or, "Windows for Warships safe for Royal
Navy, says MoD. Getting your blue on blue in early...". If that
doesn't cause the Earth to move nothing will. This might
though.
"In the Parliamentary debate the Member of Parliament Michael
Fabricant asked Adam Ingram, the Minister responsible, about the
use of Microsoft Windows on British warships. When asked about cost
comparisons between Windows and free software Ingram said, amongst
other things, that "The cost of implementing an operating system
for the Combat Management System in the Type 45 is a matter for the
prime contractor, BAE Systems, and their sub-contractor. The
Department does not have, or require, visibility of costs at that
level of detail". I suspect that Ingram, like Cameron and Osborne,
simply didn't "get it". They are probably just parroting what their
permanent officials tell them. Some Ministers can read a brief,
why, some can even understand them, but Ministers who can write a
brief? Now, that's water in the desert."
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