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opensym2017/content/02-spb.tex
| 1 | 1 | \section{Free/Open Source Software and Brazilian Public Software} |
| 2 | 2 | \label{sec:spb} |
| 3 | 3 | |
| 4 | -FOSS is a phenomenon that has gained notoriety in recent years and has been attarcting the interest of academia. However, since the beginning of computing the majority of developers worked in the way that we now identify as free software, that is, sharing code openly. This feature makes the code available for inspection, modification, and use by any person or organization \cite{kon2012}, \cite{hippel2003}. | |
| 4 | +FOSS is a phenomenon that has gained notoriety in recent years and has been | |
| 5 | +attarcting the interest of academia. However, since the beginning of computing | |
| 6 | +the majority of developers worked in the way that we now identify as free | |
| 7 | +software, that is, sharing code openly. This feature makes the code available | |
| 8 | +for inspection, modification, and use by any person or organization | |
| 9 | +\cite{kon2012}, \cite{hippel2003}. | |
| 5 | 10 | |
| 6 | -The elements that distinguish FOSS from other types of software are the reasoning about the development process, the economic context, the relationship between developers and users, as well as the ethical and legal characteristics that relate to the software. In the context of free software, user freedom is promoted and its development is based on open collaboration and development practices \cite{meirelles2013}. | |
| 11 | +The elements that distinguish FOSS from other types of software are the | |
| 12 | +reasoning about the development process, the economic context, the relationship | |
| 13 | +between developers and users, as well as the ethical and legal characteristics | |
| 14 | +that relate to the software. In the context of FOSS, user freedom is promoted | |
| 15 | +and its development is based on open collaboration and development practices. | |
| 16 | +%TODO: Colocar referências sem ser nós mesmo e sem ser em PT-Br | |
| 7 | 17 | |
| 8 | -From the economic point of view, unlike what happens with proprietary software, FOSS promotes the establishment of several suppliers that compete with each other based on the same software. This stronger competition among suppliers brings benefits to users because it gives better assurances regarding the evolution of the system and induces a reduction in prices. These freedoms and assurances on software are guaranteed in Brazil by Law 9610/98, copyright law. Most of the time, this protection from the law complies with the terms conferred by a contract related to certain software. This contract is called ``license''. The license of a software determines a list of rights that are given to, and duties that are imposed on a user of the software. In particular, what differentiates FOSS from proprietary software is just the way they are licensed\cite{sabino2009}. The FOSS licenses guarantee the right to execute, study, adapt, and improve the software. Example of common FOSS licenses are the \textit{GPL (GNU General Public License)}, the Apache license, the MIT license, and the BSD license. | |
| 18 | +From the economic point of view, unlike what happens with proprietary software, | |
| 19 | +FOSS promotes the establishment of several suppliers that compete with each | |
| 20 | +other based on the same software. This stronger competition among suppliers | |
| 21 | +brings benefits to users because it gives better assurances regarding the | |
| 22 | +evolution of the system and induces a reduction in prices. These freedoms and | |
| 23 | +assurances on software are guaranteed in Brazil by Law 9610/98 (copyright law). | |
| 24 | +Most of the time, this protection from the law complies with the terms | |
| 25 | +conferred by a contract related to certain software. This contract is called | |
| 26 | +``license''. A software license determines a list of rights that are | |
| 27 | +given to, and duties that are imposed on a user of the software. In particular, | |
| 28 | +what differentiates FOSS from proprietary software is just the way they are | |
| 29 | +licensed\cite{sabino2009}. The FOSS licenses guarantee the right to execute, | |
| 30 | +study, adapt, and improve the software. Example of common FOSS licenses are | |
| 31 | +the \textit{GPL (GNU General Public License)}, the Apache license, the MIT | |
| 32 | +license, and the BSD license. | |
| 9 | 33 | |
| 10 | -The SPB has been released in 2007. In a practical view, is a web system that has consolidated itself as a software project sharing environment. It provides a space (community) for each software. Therefore, the current platform for SPB was designed to include tools that promote collaboration and interaction in communities (by managers, users and | |
| 11 | -developers) of the projects, according to the practices used in FOSS communities. This includes e-mail lists, discussion forums, issue trackers, version control systems, and social networking environments. | |
| 34 | +The SPB portal has been designed in 2005 and released in 2007. In a practical | |
| 35 | +view, it is a web system that has consolidated itself as a software project | |
| 36 | +sharing environment. It provides a space (community) for each software. | |
| 37 | +Therefore, the current platform for SPB was designed to include tools that | |
| 38 | +promote collaboration and interaction in communities (by managers, users, and | |
| 39 | +developers) of the projects, according to the practices used in FOSS | |
| 40 | +communities. This includes e-mail lists, discussion forums, issue trackers, | |
| 41 | +version control systems, and social networking environments. | |
| 12 | 42 | |
| 13 | -Initially, the purpose of the portal was only to share the software developed in the brazilian government, in order to reduce the costs of hiring software. However it was observed that when the software were released, communities were formed around those software with several people collaborating and sharing the results obtained through the use of those solutions. In this way, some software development cooperatives and private companies have shown an interest in making their software available on the SPB platform. | |
| 43 | +Initially, the purpose of the portal was only to share the software developed | |
| 44 | +in the Brazilian government, to reduce the costs of hiring software. However | |
| 45 | +it was observed that when softwares were released, their communities were | |
| 46 | +formed around those software with several people collaborating and sharing the | |
| 47 | +results obtained through the use of those solutions. In this way, some software | |
| 48 | +development cooperatives and private companies have shown an interest in making | |
| 49 | +their software available on the SPB platform. | |
| 14 | 50 | |
| 15 | -The concept of Brazilian Public Software goes beyond FOSS. In addition to being licensed under a FOSS license, a Brazilian Public Software needs to have explicit guarantees that it is a public good, and that project must be available in the SPB. Being a true public good assumes requirements that can't be met solely by means of FOSS licensing. For example, there must be a relaxed trademark usage policy by the original vendor that don't stop eventual competitors from adversiting services for that same software. Inclusion in the SPB also has extra requirements, such as having a public version control system, installation manual, hardware requirements specification, etc. | |
| 51 | +The concept of Brazilian Public Software goes beyond FOSS. In addition to being | |
| 52 | +licensed under a FOSS license, a Brazilian Public Software needs to have | |
| 53 | +explicit guarantees that it is a public good, and that project must be | |
| 54 | +available in the SPB. Being a true public good assumes requirements that can | |
| 55 | +not be met solely by means of FOSS licensing. For example, there must be a | |
| 56 | +relaxed trademark usage policy by the original vendor that do not stop eventual | |
| 57 | +competitors from adversiting services for that same software. Inclusion in the | |
| 58 | +SPB also has extra requirements, such as having a public version control | |
| 59 | +system, installation manual, hardware requirements specification, etc. | ... | ... |