Here is an interesting article on how Obama could save money with open source software:

[DuaneBidoux]

<http://crooksandliars.com/jamie/how-our-tech-savvy-president-could-really-sa>

Plus, I have to admit it would feel could to take a little bite out of the Microsoft monopoly.

[nichomachus]

1. Contrary to popular opinion

open-source software isn't really free. You are expected to do one of two things:

1. Pay for it to support the efforts of those who develop it; or

2. Do some development and improvement on your own and contribute it back to the effort.

Granted, you can grab it and use it for free, but if enough people do that, it will destroy the model. If government did it, then it would be complicit in taking down the open-source software movement. Anyway, it kinds of flies in the face of Obama's "responsibility" call.

The notion that large enterprises can just grab software and use it without giving anything in return is a common misconception.