With the rise of the internet and the growing concern over intellectual property, this study provides an open, constructive platform for a wide range of lawyers, artists, journalists, and activists to discuss their views on the future of free and open-source software. By exchanging both complementary and conflicting opinions, the contributors look ahead to the evolution, prospects, and issues of sharing knowledge and ideas through technology.
Information Technology and Educational Management in the Knowledge Society is an essential reference for both academic and professional researchers in the field of information technology and educational management. Since the mid-1980's, computer assisted educational information systems have been developing in various parts of the world and the knowledge surrounding the development and implementation of these systems has been growing. The papers presented in this volume are the result of an international call for papers addressing the challenges faced by the information technology and education management (ITEM) field in a society where knowledge management is becoming a major issue both in educational and business systems. This state-of-the-art volume presents the proceedings of the 6th International Working Conference on Information Technology in Educational Management, held July 2004 in Spain. The collection will be important not only for information technology and education management experts and researchers, but also for all teachers and administrators interested in this growing field.
A rich case-study analysis of open source software adoption by public organizations in different countries and settings. Government agencies and public organizations often consider adopting open source software (OSS) for reasons of transparency, cost, citizen access, and greater efficiency in communication and delivering services. Adopting Open Source Software offers five richly detailed real-world case studies of OSS adoption by public organizations. The authors analyze the cases and develop an overarching, conceptual framework to clarify the various enablers and inhibitors of OSS adoption in the public sector. The book provides a useful resource for policymakers, practitioners, and academics. The five cases of OSS adoption include a hospital in Ireland; an IT consortium serving all the municipalities of the province of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy; schools and public offices in the Extremadura region of Spain; the Massachusetts state government's open standards policy in the United States; and the ICT department of the Italian Chamber of Deputies. The book provides a comparative analysis of these cases around the issues of motivation, strategies, technologies, economic and social aspects, and the implications for theory and practice.
The report highlights the diverse challenges facing rural areas, their unused potential, and the inability of sectoral policy alone to address these challenges.
Spain is the chill-out party guide for every traveller. Special sections illuminate flamenco, architecture and gastronomic treats, along with accommodation options from pretty pensiones to palatial pads and a language guide to Castilian, Basque, Catalan and Galician.
