Citizens Have to Make their Own Choice Which Software to Use

17 January 2007

Metamorphosis and Free Software non-governmental organizations demand from the Government to enable the citizens to choose, if they want, to be trained in the use of free and open source software, for which there is great interest in the public. According to the two organizations, the FOSS alternatives, such as Open Office, in addition to providing the same services as the proprietary software used by the Government, offer other benefits, important in the current economic situation in the country.

The benefits include the free distribution of software packages without expenditure to procure user licenses, reduction of the levels of piracy and criminalization of IT users. Another benefit is the elimination of the possibility to create dependence on a single supplier, as well as the fact that the software will be actually owned and not de facto rented.

The two organizations believe that the use of FOSS platforms will result in dramatic fall of prices of computers that the Government intends to procure for its �Computer for Every Student� project. They praise the Government�s initiative to increase computer literacy in Macedonia and implore it to provide the citizens with a possibility to be trained in the use of free and open source software, if they choose so.

Metamorphosis and Free Software Macedonia remind that the use of free software as public good is recommended in the National ICT Development Strategy, adopted by the Sobranie, and refer to the position of the European Commission that free software is key factor of increased competition and development of digital industry in EU.

There is substantial interest in Macedonia in terms of use of free software. The Get your job done CD with free software solutions in Macedonian and English languages, intended for office operations, word processing, table calculations, presentations, databases and internet browsing, was distributed in 5,000 copies.