Italy's Great Leap Forward for Openness?

Different countries are moving at different speeds in terms of governmental adoption of free software, open data and openness in general. I wrote a year ago about Iceland, which seemed to be making particularly rapid progress at the time. Now it looks like it's Italy's turn. 

On Open Enterprise blog.

Icelandic Politicians Ignore Crowdsourced Constitution; Pirate Party Rejoices

Techdirt has been following the fascinating saga of Iceland's crowdsourced constitution for nearly two years. Back in October 2012, we noted that Icelandic citizens gave it a pretty big thumbs up. Reflecting that, it really looked like Iceland's parliament might pass the associated bill, and go down in the history books for this bold re-invention of itself.

On Techdirt.

Italian Local Government Warms to Open Source

There is a natural tendency to concentrate on what is happening locally, and so most of the stories here on Open Enterprise are about what's happening in the UK, or developments that affect it directly. But it's important to remember that open source is a global development, and that things are bubbling away everywhere, all the time.

On Open Enterprise blog.

Before and After SOPA

A few weeks ago, I gave a talk at the Reykjavik Digital Freedoms Conference with the title "Before and After SOPA". Much of it will be familiar to readers of this blog, since it was reviewing the events around the extraordinary anti-SOPA Internet Blackout Day on January 18, which has now emerged as a turning-point in Net activism, and exploring what might happen now. As usual, I've embedded my slides below, and they may also be viewed online and downloaded.

On Open Enterprise blog.

Iceland: Haven of Openness?

One of the recurrent themes on this blog is the painfully slow progress in terms of getting open source deployed by the UK government. That's despite the fact that there have been multiple statements that it really wants to use more of the stuff, and definitely will - probably, at some point in the future, if the wind is the right direction....

On Open Enterprise blog.

The Yakuts Have an Word for IT

Readers of this blog probably take for granted a crucial freedom that open source software makes possible: that of being able to use your own language for computing. If you think this isn't a problem with proprietary software, even for well-known nations, just ask the Icelanders:

When Microsoft refused to produce an Icelandic version of Windows '98, on the grounds that the market was too small, Iceland's Ministry of Education and Culture threatened legal action. Microsoft relented.

Unbelievably, that was just ten years ago, and although Microsoft has improved since then, it's done so largely because open source has forced it to by showing what can be done. And still free software reaches the (linguistic) parts other software cannot.

For example, it's probably not a good idea to hold your breath until Microsoft comes out with a version of its software that can accommodate the Yakut language, but free software is already on the case:

В ходе этих встреч было подписано соглашение между фирмой ALT Linux и ЦНИТ ЯГУ о научно-техническом сотрудничестве и на ЦНИТ ЯГУ была возложена функция представительства ALT Linux в области образования по республике Саха (Якутия). В то же время был обсужден вопрос о внедрении якутских шрифтов в операционную систему ALT Linux с целью продвижения и широкого использования продукции ALT Linux.

[Via Google Translate:

During these meetings, an agreement was signed between the company and ALT Linux TSNIT YAGU on scientific and technical cooperation and on the New YAGU was responsible representation ALT Linux in education in the republic of Sakha (Yakutia). At the same time, discussed the implementation of fonts in the Yakut ALT Linux operating system to promote the production and extensive use of ALT Linux.]

Update: More here.

The Saga of Open Source in Government

On Open Enterprise blog.

The Birth of Blognation

I was a big fan of the Vecosys blog - I even got used to its horrible name. And then it went away, only to emerge, phoenix-like, from the ashes, as something bigger and bolder: Blognation.

Blognation is certainly an ambitious”“Go Big or Go Home”” project, the aim being to report on the Web 2.0 startup ecosystem around the globe including, United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, France, Spain, Denmark Portugal, Italy, Iceland, Netherlands, Japan, China / Taiwan / Hong Kong, Australia, Brazil, South America, all with the help of 16+ blognation editors who are getting ready to start writing.

Today sees the launch of blognation UK and over the coming weeks and months all of the other aforementioned blogs will be launched. And proving that I certainly don’t lack ambition, I am currently speaking with a further 10 more prospective editors to cover Canada, Russia, India, South Africa, South Korea, South-East Asia, Poland, Czech Republic, Turkey and Greece.

Makes sense, but it depends critically on the quality of the blogger team that Sam Sethi has assembled. We shall see. At least the name is better than the previous one.

Whaley, Whaley

Whales may share our kind of intelligence, researchers say after discovering brain cells previously found only in humans and other primates.

They were touted as the brain cells that set humans and the other great apes apart from all other mammals. Now it has been discovered that some whales also have spindle neurons – specialised brain cells that are involved in processing emotions and helping us interact socially.

Now there's a surprise.

"This is consistent with a growing body of evidence for parallels between cetaceans and primates in cognitive abilities, behaviour and social ecology."

How about if we stop eating them, then?

Why Does Iceland Hate the World?

In 2004, a report compiled for the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and other environmental groups concluded that bottom-trawling was "...highly destructive to the biodiversity associated with seamounts and deep-sea coral ecosystems and... likely to pose significant risks to this biodiversity, including the risk of species extinction."

And yet:

Conservation groups accused Iceland in particular of blocking further protection. Iceland is already under fire from the conservation lobby over its recent decision to resume commercial whaling.

"The international community should be outraged that Iceland could almost single-handedly sink deep-sea protection and the food security of future generations," said Ms Sack.

Why?

A Request to the Icelandic Nation

On the occasion of its breach of a 21-year-old international ban on commercial whaling, just a quick request to the Icelandic nation: could you please close the door on your way out of the civilised world.