Post B2DDADX5bEWTwDLaHg by NGIZero@mastodon.xyz
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 (DIR) Post #B2DDADX5bEWTwDLaHg by NGIZero@mastodon.xyz
       2026-01-12T12:30:48Z
       
       1 likes, 1 repeats
       
       Share your knowledge about Free and Open Source with the @EUCommission and provide input for its European Open Digital Ecosystem Strategy. All feedback is welcome but there are five specific questions like: What are the main barriers that prevent #FOSS adoption? & What is the added value of FOSS? Input informs the Strategy which marks FOSS as a crucial contribution to technological sovereignty & security. The Call is open till February 3.   https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/16213-European-Open-Digital-Ecosystems_en#NGI #NGI0 #policy
       
 (DIR) Post #B2DM5yzCdm4xFfYKDg by cjd@pkteerium.xyz
       2026-01-12T16:35:55.948422Z
       
       1 likes, 0 repeats
       
       My answer:It's no secret that the US projects geopolitical soft power through its proprietary, particularly SaaS, software solutions. In the event of (for example) an international incident over Greenland, it is conceivable that the US President could issue a national security directive ordering all American tech companies to immediately cease serving customers based in the EU. Even if this was confined to SaaS platforms, it would be absolutely apocalyptic, with Google, Gmail, Github, Amazon / AWS, Outlook, Office365 and most social media platforms all becoming inaccessible to Europeans on the same day. If it was extended to operating systems with remote update functionality, one could even imagine every Windows, Apple, and Android device simply going dark. This should not be considered an unrealistic scenario, the US does have robust rule of law for matters within the country, but international affairs are generally left at the discretion of the president. Furthermore, even if the decision was later reversed by a court, it would not happen before the damage was already done.Fortunately the EU can improve its situation at a very marginal cost because open source alternatives exist already, and they have no such kill-switch. However, there are three main obstacles to broader adoption:1. Because open source software is able to be copied and used without paying, open source business models are rarely successful. People who would be creating immense strategic value are often walled out by the reality of needing a modest salary to feed their family.2. Open source developers who are not so constrained face another challenge in resources and awareness. American tech companies spend exorbitantly on user experience, testing, and marketing - establishing their products as a global leader in excellence. So even when open source alternatives exist, they often lack the UX and testing/debugging polish of American products, leading to a stereotype of "2nd rate" which drives potential adopters away. And even those products which are impressively well polished are often simply unknown to the European citizenry because they are unable to spend on marketing.3. Startups who may consider offering EU-hosted SaaS solutions are often scared of regulations such as the GDPR and DSA. The headlines about these regulations speak of tremendous fines for non-compliance, and there is rarely any word about the treatment of good-faith small operators. So people are lead to believe that running a SaaS service in Europe is impossible without a large compliance team - which only American SaaS companies can afford. This poses a serious impediment to the adoption of open source web-app software because even when it exists, European companies are fearful to host it for the public.https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/16213-European-Open-Digital-Ecosystems/F33364265_en