governments

ZDnet:Linux has long had a close, working relationship with governments, but Lightweight Portable Security (LPS) is the first official U.S.

Linux distribution.

The leader of Google's effort to bring gigabit Internet access to Kansas City says governments need to make it easier for private companies to build out broadband.

"Invisible" servers let governments quietly intercept and modify their citizens' online communications.

As has been widely reported today, Egypt has rejoined the internet, after the government told ISPs that it was okay to reconnect to the world nearly a week after it shut off the internet.

What's fascinating to me, however, is the basic thinking on both moves. The idea behind shutting down the internet (and mobile phone service) was to try to cut off the ability of protesters to communicate and organize, hoping that it would stifle the protests themselves.

Linux User and Developer: "As budgets tighten, governments around the world are firming up their open source pledges.

Rory MacDonald investigates if 2011 might well be the year open source breaks into the public sector"

No anonymity is the future of web in the opinion of Google's CEO Eric Schmidt. His message was that anonymity is a dangerous thing and governments will demand an end to it.

This infographic demonstrates which countries ask Google for the most information on its users, which countries ask Google to remove the most information, and how often Google gives information.

LWN.net: "Some government entities put up fierce resistance to free software because they do not want to run afoul of ethics laws that prohibit them from accepting gifts — if free software has value, then government officials are not allowed to receive the code without paying for it."

Linux.com: "As they make software and hardware purchases, governments are creatures of habit. They form long relationships with IT vendors and stick with them so they can keep their IT systems running with minimal interruptions.

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News that Microsoft is to be hit with yet another fine from the European Union has naturally attracted plenty of attention, but it has also raised the old questions of whether such interventions by governments are justified or even do any good.

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