New Advocacy Group Pushes OSS for the USA

Ryan Paul | Ars Technica | July 23, 2009

A group of commercial open source software vendors and various nonprofit advocacy organizations have joined forces to encourage broader use of open source software and open standards in government IT. The coalition, called Open Source for America (OSA), aims to educate government officials and promote procurement policies that give open source software solutions equal priority to proprietary competitors.

The group has not yet disclosed a lot of specific details about how it will pursue its mission, but it is actively seeking volunteers who are willing to contribute to the effort. The organization's Web site has a registration form that prospective participants can use to gain OSA membership. 

The registration form describes several ways that members can help, including open source software development, organizing town hall meetings, and assisting with recruitment activities. The OSA clearly intends to grow its ranks and leverage community-driven grass-roots activism as a vehicle for encouraging open source adoption.