A lot of discussion goes into how to talk about FLOSS - free libre open-source software (for starters how about not using strange acronyms that sound like something you keep with your toothbrush). A recent Earthweb article discusses this topic, pointing out some of the mistakes that are made.

FLOSS (Free/Libre/Open Source Software) is arguably one of the best examples of open, collaborative, internationally distributed production and development. FLOSS provides numerous benefits for developing countries, such as low cost, adaptability, and a free-of-charge high quality training environment, as shown by the FP6 FLOSSWORLD study.

Documentation is one area in which free/libre/open source software (FLOSS) is weakest. A project called FLOSS Manuals is trying to remedy this situation. The idea behind project is to create quality, free documentation for free software.

"FLOSS+Art critically reflects on the growing relationship between Free Software ideology, open content and digital art. It provides a view onto the social, political and economic myths and realities linked to this phenomenon [...] FLOSS+Art is triple licensed GNU GPL, GNU FDL and Free Art License..."

Urging public administrations to use Free/Libre/Open Source Software (FLOSS) and open standards is one thing. Getting them to really take the jump is quite another. In the Netherlands, the OSOSS programme is helping ministries and municipalities to make their IT strategies more open.

The open source not-for-profit organisations FLOSS Manuals Foundation and Sourcefabric are pleased to announce their newly forged partnership to maintain and develop the code base behind FLOSS Manuals' successful free software documentation platform. FLOSS Manuals' open source platform is designed to help people produce books on free software, by themselves or working collaboratively with others.

...speaking as the guy who promulgated “open source” to abolish the colossal marketing blunders that were associated with the term “free software”, I think “free software” is less bad than “FLOSS”.

I’ve been using FLOSS on my computers pretty much exclusively for about 5 or 6 years now and I don’t see me going back, but I have started to feel some sort of disconnect to one of the leading institutions of FLOSS lately: The Free Software Foundation (FSF).

I summarize in this blog post the questions, challenges and objections that were mentioned during a conference about open source/FLOSS that I gave to about 20 IT directors of Small Businesses (100-500 employees).