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1. Embed this notice
   dragestil (dragestil@hostux.social)'s status on Wednesday, 06-Sep-2023 21:11:31 JST dragestil

   • Dave Lane :flag_tino: 🇳🇿

   A cautionary tale about relying on "cloud" infested with proprietary software

   Largest local government body in Europe goes under amid Oracle disaster

   https://www.theregister.com/2023/09/05/birmingham_city_council_oracle/

   cc @lightweight

   • Embed this notice
     翠星石 (suiseiseki@freesoftwareextremist.com)'s status on Wednesday, 06-Sep-2023 21:26:30 JST 翠星石

     in reply to

     • Dave Lane :flag_tino: 🇳🇿
     @lightweight >what other options our Ministry of Education considered besides MS Office 365 and Google Docs for schools. I suspect they didn't.
     I bet on that they didn't, but it's fairly likely that they did a quick internet search for other proprietary "platforms" and then copy-pasted a few names into a listing of rejected "considerations".
   • Embed this notice
     Dave Lane :flag_tino: 🇳🇿 (lightweight@mastodon.nzoss.nz)'s status on Wednesday, 06-Sep-2023 21:26:33 JST Dave Lane :flag_tino: 🇳🇿

     in reply to

     • Bernard Marx
     • 1ll173r47

     @Bernard yes, I suspect you're quite right. I've actually got an Official Information Act query in right now intending to find out what other options our Ministry of Education considered besides MS Office 365 and Google Docs for schools. I suspect they didn't. @1ll173r47 @dragestil

   • Embed this notice
     1ll173r47 (1ll173r47@mastodon.online)'s status on Wednesday, 06-Sep-2023 21:26:34 JST 1ll173r47

     in reply to

     • Dave Lane :flag_tino: 🇳🇿
     • Bernard Marx

     @Bernard @dragestil @lightweight I think FOSS people have a hard time believing someone would waste so much of other people’s money for a bit of ego stroking. But that’s part of the problem, not fully acknowledging and dealing with the real world.

   • Embed this notice
     Bernard Marx (bernard@friends.ravergram.club)'s status on Wednesday, 06-Sep-2023 21:26:34 JST Bernard Marx

     in reply to

     • Dave Lane :flag_tino: 🇳🇿
     • 1ll173r47

     @1ll173r47 @dragestil @lightweight I have worked at many companies in my life implementing both SAP and Oracle. If organizations asked me, I would recommend considering FOSS solutions, but they never do. Their mindset is usually:

     We need SW. Call a bunch of vendors to get demos.

     I don't think many ever entertain free solutions or think it is even a viable option. The truth is that few to no free viable options exist to satisfy organizations with complicated requirements in CRM and ERP.

   • Embed this notice
     Bernard Marx (bernard@friends.ravergram.club)'s status on Wednesday, 06-Sep-2023 21:26:35 JST Bernard Marx

     in reply to

     • Dave Lane :flag_tino: 🇳🇿
     • 1ll173r47

     @1ll173r47 @dragestil @lightweight
     Bribes do happen, but it is usually a simple explanation. The sales people at these companies are master ego strokers and know the ways to get to the right decision makers while ensuring they exclude those of us who could impede their deals. The fundamental problem is that FOSS solutions do not have these teams of people who will fly in to demonstrate and sell the solution. Nobody is selling freedom.

   • Embed this notice
     1ll173r47 (1ll173r47@mastodon.online)'s status on Wednesday, 06-Sep-2023 21:26:36 JST 1ll173r47

     in reply to

     • Dave Lane :flag_tino: 🇳🇿

     @dragestil @lightweight I have never seen local or state governments not get completely fleeced by the SAPs and Oracles of the world.

     I assume all the elected officials who sign off have been bribed because there is no other explanation for those contracts getting approved.

     But I don’t think I’ve ever seen any in-depth reporting about these situations.

   • Embed this notice
     翠星石 (suiseiseki@freesoftwareextremist.com)'s status on Wednesday, 06-Sep-2023 21:30:43 JST 翠星石

     in reply to

     • Bernard Marx
     @Bernard >few to no free viable options exist to satisfy organizations with complicated requirements in CRM and ERP.
     Tryton, GNU Health and all the other ERPs don't exist?
     
     Sure you'll have to pay a programmer to add your complicated requirements to a ERP, but as long as you hire the right one, it's a hell of a lot cheaper than having to pay a huge amount monthly forever for crap that constantly breaks and doesn't work properly.