[Fsf-friends] IOSN: Request for Authors, FOSS: Open Standards (fwd)
Frederick Noronha (FN)
fred@bytesforall.org
Sat Dec 11 12:22:44 IST 2004
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Dear Friends,
Please see the Terms of Reference below. If you would like to apply
please send me your updated Curriculum Vitae and 2-3 samples of your
writings on FOSS and Open Standards.
Thanks,
Sunil
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International Open Source Network: Terms of Reference for
Author for Primer: Free/Open Source Software - Open Standards
Duration: 6 months
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Background
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The International Open Source Network (IOSN -
http://www.iosn.net) is a Centre of Excellence for Free / Open
Source Software in the Asia-Pacific Region. IOSN is an
initiative of the UNDP's Asia-Pacific Information Development
Programme (APDIP - http://www.apdip.net) and is supported by
International Development Research Centre (IDRC -
http://www.idrc.ca]. Via a small secretariat, the IOSN is tasked
specifically to facilitate and network Free / Open Source
Software advocates and human resources in the region.
Open standards are publicly available specifications for
achieving a specific task. By allowing anyone to use the
standard, they increase compatibility between various hardware
and software components since anyone with the technical know-how
and the necessary equipment to implement solutions can build
something that works together with those of other vendors[1].
Vendors of proprietary software use proprietary standards or
formats to lock-in their customer. Once the customer has legal
applications that adhere to proprietary standards and legal data
in proprietary formats there is great inertia to shift to a new
vendor. It does not matter whether the new vendor promotes
proprietary or Free/ Open Source Software [FOSS]. Therefore it
could be said that proprietary standards breed unfair and
monopolistic business practices and are incongruous with the
Free Market.
FOSS advocates believe that popular Open Standards are an
important stepping stone towards the accelerated adoption of
Free/Open Source Software in developing countries. Vendors of
proprietary software have realised this and have adopted the
strategy of “embrace, extend and extinguish[2]” in an attempt to
halt the march of FOSS.
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Title: Free and Open Source Software - Open Standards
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Bruce Perens has identified the following 5 principles for Open
Standards. Open Standards are available for all to read and
implement. Open Standards maximize end-user choice and they do
not lock the customer in to a particular vendor or group. Open
Standards are free for all to implement, with no royalty or fee.
Open Standards and the organizations that administer them do not
favor one implementor over another for any reason other than the
technical standards compliance of a vendor's implementation.
Implementations of Open Standards may be extended, or offered in
subset form[3].
Many public institutions like government agencies and civil
society organisations are obliged by new legislation to place
information in the public domain. Unfortunately, many of them
are using proprietary standards and formats that require members
of the public to purchase or pirate expensive proprietary
software.
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Objectives
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To produce a primer on Open Standards that will:
1. Introduce Free/Open Source Software and Open Standards and
explain the connection between the two.
2. Provide a rationale for the use of Open Standards in
Government/Development funded ICT interventions
3. Profile open standards and formats such as HTML, XML, CSS, PNG,
SVG RDF, SOAP, UNICODE, SQL, RSS etc.
4. Compare open standards to proprietary equivalents and explain
benefits and disadvantages.
5. Give an overview of standards setting bodies such as W3C and
Unicode Consortium; enumerate membership requirements for these
bodies; describe the process of negotiating, setting and
adopting standards.
6. Profile FOSS software and tools that can be used to create new
content or migrate existing content.
7. Provide case studies where the use of standards have increased
interoperability, scaling up of projects and process efficiency.
8. Provide sample tenders for ICT projects; review existing
policies endorsing open standards from this region.
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Duties and Responsibilities of the Author
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The Author will be required to carry out the following:
1. Conduct background research on Open Standards and Formats and
particularly in the Asia-Pacific context.
2. Review and analyse all existing Open Standards and Formats.
3. Produce a first draft of the primer according to objectives as
described above.
4. Provide drafts of the primer taking into account the feedback
provided by APDIP-IOSN according to the time-line below.
5. Consolidate and compile feedback based on a select list of peer
reviewers approved by APDIP, and make the necessary revisions.
6. Ensure that the publication material conforms to the UNDP Style
Manual, December 2002 version as provided.
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Time Frame
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The project will be undertaken based on the following timetable:
Time Output/ Deliverable Responsibility
0th Week Contract signed – project kick off IOSN
2rd Week Annotated outline of the primer Author
3th Week Feedback on primer outline IOSN
8th Week First draft of primer Author
9th Week Internal feedback on the first draft IOSN
12th Week Second draft of primer + response to Author
the internal feedback
15th Week Peer and public feedback on the primer IOSN
18th Week Third draft Author
19th Week Feedback on the third draft IOSN
22th Week Final draft Author
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Rights
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All the copyright of research papers, materials, documents,
publications, and on-line resources collected and worked upon by the
Author belong UNDP-IOSN. UNDP-IOSN will license this body of work to the
general public under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
Therefore, the Author has full rights to use the content and findings
for any work of similar nature that s/he wishes to perform in the
future.
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Qualifications and Experience
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1. Substantial knowledge of Free and Open Source Software movement
particularly in the Asia-Pacific region.
2. Prior experience in research and publishing of papers on FOSS
and Open Standards and Open Formats
3. Good command of English-language communication and writing
skills.
4. Good communication and interpersonal skills and experience in
working effectively in a multicultural environment.
5. A team-player and self-starter, able to work with minimum
supervision, with sound judgement.
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Terms of Payments
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A lump sum amount of US$3,000 will be paid upon submission and
acceptance by APDIP, of the final pre-publication version of the Primer.
No further claims will be considered.
UNDP-APDIP, Kuala Lumpur, 10th Dec 2004
[1]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_standard
[2]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embrace,_extend_and_extinguish
[3]http://perens.com/OpenStandards/Definition.html
Thanks,
ಸುನೀಲ್
Thanks,
ಸುನೀಲ್
--
Sunil Abraham, sunil@mahiti.org http://www.mahiti.org
314/1, 7th Cross, Domlur Bangalore - 560 071 Karnataka, INDIA
Ph/Fax: +91 80 51150580. Mob: (60) 1-2205-3895
Currently on sabbatical with APDIP/UNDP
Manager - International Open Source Network
Wisma UN, Block C Komplex Pejabat Damansara.
Jalan Dungun, Damansara Heights. 50490 Kuala Lumpur.
P. O. Box 12544, 50782, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: (60) 3-2091-5167, Fax: (60) 3-2095-2087
sunil@apdip.net http://www.iosn.net http://www.apdip.net
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