Craig,
Very interesting read. I think many of the points you raise regarding benefits to smaller institutions are spot on. However, while I wholeheartedly agree FLOSS provides the means for implementing a broad array of systems and services, especially in resource restricted institutions, many who argue against the use of FLOSS site the same as the very reason to use commercial offerings, emphasizing contracted support supplements the limited resources on campus.
While there are many examples of service providers who will gladly enter into a support contract to support open source applications, the arguments seem to persist. Considering the above, what really struck me was your comment, “I am very happy that I do not have to worry about my clients rejecting an opensource application because of a stigma attached. Except for the more tech-savvy clients who want to know that the applications they are using are open-source, few clients raise the issue of the license type.” Am I correct in assuming your clients do not raise issues regarding, “total cost of ownership,” “long term support,” “quality,” “added staff,” etc.?
In my post, I posed this very culture as the ideal: a faculty and administrative body who derives functional requirements/needs based on their business processes and leaves the technical requirements to the IT department.
Please share you secret, how did you achieve such a paradise?
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