Free Libre & Open Source Software and Open Standards in South Africa

A number of changes have occurred in the South African FLOSS landscape since the
first version of this document was produced in 2002. This revision of the original
document extends the discussion of a range of issues, both local and global, that
continue to have impact on the progress and potential of FLOSS. These discussions
take advantage of the increased research into the FLOSS phenomenon which has
occurred over the past two years. The document also indicates the significant progress that has been made since the first version in making FLOSS adoption a priority in South Africa’s public sector.

Few would dispute that the Internet is having a dramatic impact on most aspects of
human society in the developed and in the developing world. Terms such as the
Information Society, the Knowledge Economy, the Digital Village and the Digital Divide dominate discussions at all levels of the connected society whilst amplifying the exclusion of the unconnected. Behind all these issues lies the Internet. Yet, 13 short years ago, the Internet was far from being an accepted technology or phenomenon, and many, especially in the IT industry multinationals at that time, dismissed it as ‘yet another fad’. The FLOSS phenomenon is clearly making its presence felt in the global networked world. A third mode of production, “commons-based peer-production”, is emerging, beyond property and contract, with both ethical and practical implications for sustainable development world wide.