Conservancy's Executive Director Testified Yesterday in Favor of NYC Free and Open Source Software Acts

[Karen Sandler]

URL:
http://sfconservancy.org/news/2016/feb/23/FOSSA-testimony/

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Conservancy's Executive Director Testifies in Favor of NYC Free and Open 
Source Software Acts

Software Freedom Conservancy's Executive Director, Karen Sandler was 
invited to offer testimony earlier today to the New York City Council 
Committee on Contracts. Sandler testified in favor of the Free and Open 
Source Software Act and the Civic Commons Act, both proposed by Council 
Member Ben Kallos, which would increase the use of free and open source 
software by New York City departments and agencies. Sandler made the 
case for the superiority of free software, pointing out the advantages 
it would provide the city and society in general. “Companies effectively 
hold governments hostage with proprietary software,” Sandler explained. 
A full copy of the testimony is available at 
http://sfconservancy.org/docs/2016-02-23_Contracts_Committee_testimony.pdf.

In the audience during Sandler's testimony were dozens of schoolchildren 
on a class trip, to whom she recommended SugarLabs, one of Conservancy's 
projects focused on kids. Sandler also took a moment to share her 
personal perspective on free software, explaining how she relies on 
proprietary software in her implanted medical device, which generated 
multiple questions from the Council Members. Sandler ended her 
participation in the Committee's hearing by providing an informal 
demonstration of GNU/Linux and in particular the GNOME desktop to the 
Council Members at their request. Karen concluded her testimony with “as 
a lifelong New Yorker, I love this city and know that shifting to free 
and open source software will better keep the city safe.”

Free Software Foundation's Executive Director, John Sullivan, Open 
Source Initiative.'s board member, Paul Tagliamonte and Participatory 
Politics Foundation Executive Director, David Moore also provided 
testimony in support of the acts.

Conservancy is proud to support municipalities adopting free and open 
source software!