Late last year I wrote about my disappointment at having to use proprietary software at work. We're a charity working to develop and promote mainstream solutions to sustainability, so it would be more consistent with our values to use and promote software freedom. Well since then things have changed considerably - I've had a number of good leads, not least by discovering and using the fantastic Open Source Consortium, who help you find suitable companies.

I have in mind three basic scenarios: using free software on the Windows desktop, replacing Windows on the server(s) and switching wholesale to Linux+KDE on the desktops.

During my first staff appraisal yesterday, which went really well for those who care, we agreed that I would conduct a feasibility study into using free software in the organisation. I've got a year to do it, so I'm going to be able to do a really thorough job of it. So far I have have a three page document outlining our general requirements and the research I need to do. I've stuck it up here, if anyone is interested and has any suggestions of things I should look into please get in touch! I'm not, by the way, interested in suggestions along the lines of "you should use application X to do Y", but rather things I need to get right in my research to avoid a bad decision down the line.

In other work-related news the meeting with David Miliband went really well, our response to a govt consultation that I'm coordinating is rumbling along, and I'm off for an interview about carbon footprinting this afternoon. Super!