Funding Open Source like public infrastructure
"Open Source runs much of the world's critical infrastructure. It powers government services, supports national security, and enables everything from public health systems to elections. This means governments must help fund Open Source."
I think this proposal is sound for every country other than the United States:
“Recent geopolitical tensions and policy unpredictability have made governments more aware of the risks of relying on foreign-controlled, proprietary software. Around the world, there is growing recognition that they cannot afford to lose control over their digital infrastructure.”
In a world where countries are exploring moving their infrastructures over to sovereign tech, and in particular are both using and fostering open source projects in order to do so, it’s time to get serious about funding. Building real infrastructure to create an alternative software ecosystem — one that is about openness, but retains the usability and design rigor of the most-loved software — carries enormous benefits.
Further, as more governments rely on open source software, it’s a security requirement. As Dries points out:
“Today, some Open Source has become public infrastructure. Leaving critical infrastructure dependent on too few maintainers is a risk no society should accept.”
So let’s not accept it. I’m on board. Governments should channel funding into structures designed to help open source projects thrive, not just financially but organizationally. Many of them need help figuring out how to run a team or how to conduct essential tasks like user research and navigating privacy regulations. Promoting sustainability covers many bases.
If it’s done well, the result could be a safer, pro-human software ecosystem that works better for everybody. I hope that it can be. I’d love to be a part of conversations about how to promote this in Europe and elsewhere — it’s incredibly important. I previously worked on open source projects with major impacts like Elgg, and now at ProPublica I’m a downstream user who needs more secure, open software. I’d love to see this happen.
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