Open source dependencies, twitter conversation summary

[MaryBethBaker]

Good morning,

After a long and collaborative twitter conversation (first tweet). I am writing to find out what level of evaluation will EARB be doing for Open Source software. If we want to use it, we need smaller Open source dependencies, libraries and tools to do this work. My colleagues pointed out online the following issues:
*Paper approvals requiring senior management or supervisor sign off (for tools from Text editors to programing languages e.g. Python and Ruby)
*Use of non-Windows operating systems such as Linux distros, Machintosh OS and others.
*Pilots and special groups vs. #GCwide access for people in all departments, communications groups, etc
*Obstacles working with Policies, IT security, general paper processes and approvals
*Access to the right hardware and Operating systems, but without the ability to add or use installed tools (e.g. locked iPhones)
*Frustration preventing skilled professionals from doing work they need to do
*An inability to re-use code written by other #GC colleagues (i.e. WET-BOEW, CDS website)
*And the risk of using personal machines for work tasks.

Thanks for this opportunity to comment, discuss and summarize.

Mary Beth

[gcharest]

Hi @MaryBethBaker! Very good questions and I think this could probably be addressed at some level by the GC Digital Playbook? @pjackson28

The other angle that we need to consider is interdepartmental work which may be in part addressed by Open Resource Exchange

[pjackson28]

@MaryBethBaker I can see at least some of those issues being counter to what will be expected by the Digital Standards so it would probably be a good idea to have content in the Digital Playbook to address them. Currently we have mapped in the guidance from other jurisdictions. Are there any gaps in what the Playbook currently covers with regards to the issues you raised? Anything that should be added (e.g., checklist items)?

To get a better idea of how this affects actual people, what are some common tasks/scenarios that are negatively impacted by the issues you raised (working-level in particular)? Since the Playbook is in the form of a dataset, perhaps we could provide alternate outputs of the Playbook for those common tasks/scenarios, providing more relevant guidance that addresses some of the issues you raised.