Of the 70 people who answered that they don’t use open source at work, 49 provided reasons why:

• No one asks for it.
• too many network restrictions right now
• I have decent tools with the software provided to me.  Sure, there’s stuff that could be better, but I don’t have the authority to go off and change programs.
• My work is not willing to take any unnecessary steps other than fixing IE with weekly patches, on regular bases.
• The library does not currently have any OSS on their machines.
• don’t need to really
• We haven’t felt the need to switch to Firefox, and our computers came with installed software that has met our needs.
• See answer to previous question
• The proprietary software offers what we need at this point
• Not an option
• IT won’t allow us to install any OS software other than Firefox. However, our entire web site is migrating to Drupal in the next month.
• Can’t download software without admin permissions, too difficult to incorporate into current ILS
• They won’t let us – I think they’re afraid of it.
• IT people are REALLY particular as to what goes on with “their” machines.
• Not allowed to use.
• Don’t know of any that would be of use to me.  Am trying with no success so far to install software to convert a map bar scale into a ratio.
• I prefer IE and we have a $000,000 ILS!
• unreliable, unproven and using a system which provides support
• some limitations due to network
• We are looking into using Open Source for Circulation
• Not approved by corporate office.
• Recent graduate and not, yet, employed
• Management is concerned that it is risky. There is a lack of understanding about what is it. There is reluctance to change or try new things.
• Boneheaded upper management and other institutional resistance.
• Too difficult to support. Lack of documentation. Lack of local knowledge.
• Not supported by our IT department
• Too much trouble.
• Our library is controlled by the government.
• What we use is regulated by our IT department.   Users don’t make those decisions.
• For patron use, products like Open Office require extra steps to be compatible with MS Office, which is pervasive in schools and businesses (you have to know, or be told, to save documents in office formats in order to make them transferrable). ILS: the systems just aren’t there yet, and require expertise that is not necessarily available to all libraries.
• Not installed on computers there.
• Not my decision; not allowed
• Haven’t made the change for e-mail.  For circulation and cataloging system, we are in a larger group of libraries that is using a costly provider.
• Because I can only use the software installed by my employer and they don’t use open source.
• Because security is taken very serious (maybe too restrictive) and our former  data processing center (Rechenzentrum) was outsourced and all the IT Service is now coming from an external service provider. The standard workplace is operated only with Windows and for every exception from the standard software you have to fill out an application and give an explanation …  Just some month ago my firefox browser was officially deleted from my desktop.
• company policy
• I’ve been exploring some–lack of db provider tech support for problems getting into the programs, institutional regs about downloading unauthorized software
• IT won’t let us
• Considered open source catalog; not supported.  Other options available.
• We are investigating it, but no decision has been made yet.
• Would not be allowed by our IT, so I’ve never even considered it.
• I don’t know enough about implementing software like Koha.  2. Software and network administration is managed on an office-wide/corporate level.
• Haven’t had a chance . . .
• My company dictates what I may use, and this far we have not adopted Open Source programs.
• IT department at work controls what we use.
• Our IT Department has strict rules about downloading something without authorization.
• Not supported by my institution.
• Not sure if they would allow it, very PC here.
• Only programs allowed and approved by the company IT Dept are used.

248 people answered the above as ‘other,’ their answers are below

• Solaris 10
• Joomla
• symfony, CodeIgniter
• I’m not sure which are open source and which aren’t
• OPUS, RAKIM, Apache, MySQL, ….
• Senayan Library Automation System
• Fedora, apache, tomcat
• CUFTS, OJS
• Firebug, Juice
• WikiPad
• b2evolution libdata
• Wink
• Joomla
• VUFind
• Media Wiki
• Senayan Library Automation
• PmWiki
• mostly jhove, droid, jboss as part of a project i´m working on
• PMB ILS (http://www.sigb.net), FreeMind
• limesurvey   Open web mail; and more stuff but I’m not sure what it is
• DSpace++, too many to list
• SilverStripe (CMS)
• Simile
• Considering Evergreen
• hundreds of Debian packages, too numerous to list here.
• MySQL, PHP
• joomla
• Joomla
• PMB, Irfanview. See list http://bib27.ulb.ac.be/fr/aide/logiciel-libre/index.html#c5286
• We are doing research about Koha etc.
• exist, orbeon, tomcat, apache, solr
• AutoIt
• OpenFire
• Archivists’ Toolkit
• AbiWord, Joomla
• Apache
• joomla, packet fence, cacti, nagios
• Helios, VuFind, Flamenco, SubjectPlus, mootools
• Jing
• pbwiki
• MediaWiki; exploring Drupal apps at work/not officially using.
• PmWiki
• considering Drupal?
• Meebo for chat, Adobe Reader
• PMB
• Compozer, FastStone,
• mediawiki, subjectsplus
• Greenstone digital Library Software
• Debian, LimeSurvey, PhpGedView, Joomla, phpbb3
• Picasa, Photoscape
• Apache, BIND, Mailman, RequestTracker
• Joomla
• umlaut
• Apache
• A whole host of apps
• Joomla
• openSUSE
• DLXS
• joomla
• TYPO3
• Clip-Imp, U-SKIS
• b2evolution
• *lot* of o/s java apps/libs
• LibStats, LibData, Archon, PHPBB, MediaWiki
• Joomla
• Powerline (PC reservations)
• Joomla, Scout Portal Toolkit, Best Practical: Request Tracker, Omeka
• Apache, PHP, MySQL, etc.
• Fedora (repository), uPortal, Sakai, CAS
• php, libXML, mediawiki, apache, SOLR/lucene, OJS, etc,…
• Vufind (mid implementation)
• Apache, Postgres, Tomcat, Plone, Python, Perl, and many others
• FreeBSD, Perl, Python, PostgreSQL, Python, MoinMoin, Postfix, procmail, sendmail, rsync, more, more…
• Fedora Commons, Eclipse, more Apache products than you can shake a stick at, many more
• MediaWiki
• putty, winscp, fedora commons, squid proxy, apache, php, wireshark, openbsd, lockss, spamassassin, miro
• MyCoRe
• GNU EPrints, Zope/Plone
• Apache
• Catalis, OpacMarc
• Pidgin
• VuFind
• mysql, IPCop, EVSA (spam filtering appliance), FreeNAS, Webmin
• And more! Inkscape…
• PuTTY
• songbird
• wiki, apache, imagemagik, etc
• MRBS, CMS Made Simple, IndexData Z39.50
• LAMP, TYPO3, Abiword, PostgreSQL, pgAdmin
• Apache, Squid, PHP, MySQL, Firebird, OpenRADIUS, m0n0wall, RoundCube Webmail, SpamAssassin, Dovecot, Majordomo, Listproc, Samba, rsync, Sendmail, Procmail, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, BIND, MediaWiki, MRTG, VNC, more
• piwik
• Various small applications
• CDS Invenio, KDevelop, KDE, Konqueror, Kontact…
• Apache, Samba, MySQL, Perl, PHP, LibData (but phasing it out), 7-Zip, VNC, OpenSSH, PuTTY, Java, PDF Creator, Nmap, more that I can’t think of now
• Streetprint, Greenstone, CollectiveAccess, Audacity, Xenu, Nvu, 7-zip, IrfanView
• OPALS circulation software
• don’t know, our IT dept contols EVERYTHING and we have very little access to anything other than Microsoft Office products
• Fedora
• VuFind, Fedora (repository)
• Terry Reese marcedit,
• dia
• Greenstone
• dans guardian, smoothwall, ip cop, monowall, clonezilla, free nas
• Blogger, OPALS
• Oregon State’s open source federated search (I can’t remember the name right now)
• Greenstone Digital Library Software
• apache, mysql, archon, postgresql, codeigniter, php
• apache, cygwin, many others…
• MarcEdit
• Apache/Mysql/PHP/Perl, Crimson Editor, TortoiseSVN, Trillian, BonkENC audio encoder
• Joomla, Poderosa, Irfan view, Aptana
• Moodle, b2evolution
• Chrome, Tortoise
• TEDE, TortoiseSVN, Apache
• Greenstone, ePrints
• mediawiki, fez/fedora,many others
• Teamviewer, Irfanview, freeDWGviewer
• Apache, Xapian, OJS
• vufind, moodle, OJS, Greenstone,
• Coppermine Photo Gallery
• Joomla!
• WebGUI, EPrints
• jEdit
• Plone, Summa
• Lucene, Apache, Java and the list goes on
• Summa
• Locally built software
• mutt, OpenBib
• apache,  eclipse, subversion, Trac, VuFind, …
• MyCoRe
• Typo3, Dia, Notepad++, Eclipse, Subversion
• Typo3, Apache Lucene, Solr
• Perl, PostgreSQL, Apache, YAZ, Crimson Editor, 7-Zip, WinMerge
• MyCoRe
• OPUS, MILESS
• LimeSurvey, OTRS, R
• MediaWiki, Solr, Catalyst, refbase
• Joomla, Open Journal Systems, Open Conference Systems
• ePrints
• blogspot
• NewGenLib
• SENAYAN Library Automation System
• eprints
• FEDORA
• Openbiblio
• Crimson Editor, pdfsam, synergy
• EPrints, MySQL, Apache HTTPD
• mediawiki, phpBB, LAMP,
• TYPO3 / MediaWiki
• Joomla, eprints, openbiblio
• mysql, apache, solr
• Fugu FTP, Flock
• Apache, Python, PHP, jQuery, OpenLayers
• Archon, Fedora
• limesurvey, CUFTS/GODOT
• Plone
• Cite U Like
• My work uses DSpace, although I personally do not
• Blogger
• LOCKSS
• SilverStripe
• Eclipse
• Archivists Toolkit
• mediawiki
• MarcEdit
• LibStats
• Fedora, Blacklight, mysql, Apache, Tomcat, ruby on rails
• PHP, MySQL, Apache
• Wink
• Subjects Plus
• Blacklight
• solr
• Facebook?  YouTube?  flickr?
• Fedora, Fez, and our own open source software we are creating for RM.
• Fedora
• Variations digital music library, mysql, apache, many others
• VuFind
• Too many to mention: Apache httpd, Apache Tomcat, Saxon, many Java libraries, Perl, Python, Colloquy, much much more
• A number of web 2.0 apps
• irfanview, zamzar, google stuff, colorcop, realplayer, audacity
• Fedora
• Fedora; OpenWMS (beta)
• Archivist’s Toolkit
• Kuali
• Archon
• java, tomcat, mysql,php, hibernate, castor, openlayers, mapserver, apache, eclipse,
• Joomla
• Crossloop. VNC, Irfanview
• MyCoRe
• Solr/Lucene
• spiceworks, audacity
• Self-developed Perl programs
• apache, perl, sendmail, php, mediawiki, squirrelmail, mailman, majordomo, postgres, mysql
• Plone
• Greenstone
• SVN
• MySQL, 7-zip, Lightscreen, Apache, Nvue, PuTTy, Audacity
• TortoiseSVN, Inkscape, The Regex Coach, AutoIT v3
• Xen, Zimbra, Apache, MySQL, Tomcat, Squid, BIND, Xorg
• Fedora Commons
• Dia, but just learning now
• Perl
• PING (Partition Image is Not Ghost)
• Chrome, PERL, PYTHON, PerlExpress, Strawberry PERL, gcc, MARCConvert, XEN, Apache, MySQL, putty, latex, MySQL Administrator
• Plone
• WinSCP, Kompozer, CyberDuck, Audacity, Inkscape, TrueCrypt
• I wish the consotium was more open to koha and the like
• Joomla
• None
• mediawiki, moodle
• squid, squidguard, dansguardian, pf, ltsp, and I’m sure there’s a lot that I’m forgetting to mention…
• Joomla
• NetBSD
• Joomla
• gaming tournament software
• Audacity
• Inkscape
• LIBRUM 2.5 Library Software
• Moodle
• Heritrix, Nutchwax, XMind, usemarcon, PuTTY,
• Solaris, Java, Netbeans, Mysql, …
• MarcEdit, NetBeans
• Apache, Solr
• We may be using Joomla because the University is promoting it but we (the library) rather have Drupal.
• Don’t know
• zope
• Joomla
• plone
• DokuWiki, Apache
• Squid, Dansgaurdian, Clonezilla
• Joomla
• MySQL
• Gnucash, Audacity, Avidemux,
• many freewares found on download.com, filehippo.com, etc.
• Too many to fit in this small box.
• Joomla
• eprints
• PMB
• mediawiki
• planing to use Evergreen
• CDS, Invenio, Nambu, Twiki, Darwin (Kernel of MacOX)
• Joomla
• MediaWiki, Gregarius
• eXist, LibStats, Synapse
• Plone, Vim
• Greenstone
• OPALS-NA
• mymorph(NLM)

The 150 people who answered ‘other’ to the above expanded on their answers:

• No other choice in Malawi, but I still think (now) that it is a good choice!
• I don’t like relying on Microsoft for everything!
• There a big community that can help me if I get problems. Works better than paid support.
• I like them better
• keep options open / know multiple platforms
• both for personal use
• it’s fun
• Free as in freedom
• there is no proprietary alternative, and when there is, we need both.
• No budget for ILS, previous knowledge of Drupal
• but I don’t mind that work makes me use it
• I make work use it.
• wanted to see if it was better than what was already available
• Provided by web host
• Considering developing a consortium of only our state libraries and Evergreen would be the system we use.
• Still have to use IE for some things at work but rarely use it at home.
• To support questions from our users
• freedom
• We use a combination of both proprietary and open source resources
• you can develop it further to adapt it to our needs
• I get proprietary software, but supply it with the above mentions. For my web projects I use Drupal after a longer test on the subject with Drupal, Joomla and WordPress
• more freedom
• Curiosity
• Firefox and thunderbird are part of the institutional SOE. Zotero is for evaluation. Openfire (jabber server) was the only solution we could find that purported to do what we need – but the price was a good reason not to seek further in the commercial world.
• Library Director wanted Koha used
• People I trust implemented them
• Keep up on options, help make purchase decisions
• I’m used to them
• Firefox is just for testing our webpage in to make sure it looks ok. I use Chrome as my primary browser.
• We like it.
• Based on cost and recommendation we tried the applications and they work well.
• Flexible
• well, work makes me use DSpace and I hate it
• Wanted to try Firefox because I heard so much about it, not impressed
• On Steering Comm. of consortium that uses Koha
• I’m comfortable with these programs, so when I have the option I use them at work.  The university I am at is developing a D-space library, and I’ve been casually working in that system as well.
• Exploratory initially and then worked for our growing needs.
• I prefer using open source when I can
• i am used to
• Recommended for use with new BlackBoard release
• I can use it wherever I go
• I’m not sure if there’s anything else like Libx?
• User support forums; other advantages
• To learn about it
• I like to use it sometimes over IE because it can be much less problematic.
• We developed DLXS.
• We’re also give some freedom to choose our personal preferences, as long as systems folks are aware of them.
• more flexible
• For variety
• It is right for us
• I use them in addition to proprietary software.
• Work ALLOWS me to use it!
• Don’t like I.E.
• Gives us more flexibility
• I don’t have to submit a software request
• ON VuFind we looked hard at next gen ‘OPAC’solutions and found it stood up very well to commercial offerings in terms of function, and we had the skill set to do work in house, thus making a substantial capital cost saving
• “It just works” ™
• no closed-source alternative
• Even when licensing costs are low, it takes time to get purchases approved, and often commercial software is poorly tested and hard to deploy in an enterprise environment. (this is a *big* deal at our institution… we can cannot deploy it centrally… it *costs* big dollars to maintain).
• It seemed like a good idea at the time
• Certain other functions available for free
• i think that open source should be the way
• Freedom
• Customizability
• Dspace: we tested different options and chose DSpace
• not locked into proprietary software and manditory licenses
• Usable and adjustable across the multiple platforms used by our customers.
• customizable for local needs
• Customizable
• was more reliable when chosen
• Use Firefox in addition to other browsers; use Open Office on servers and back room stations
• There is no choice in Malawi; it’s either OSS or nothing (maybe pirated?) – but I now think OSS is a good choice.
• It’s a better fit our library. It’s customizable. For Linux and Firefox, they’re more secure.
• I develop OpenSource software as a job
• Principle of freedom; more readily available than proprietary software (no purchasing hassles); no license tracking; generally simpler, cleaner and less bloated than proprietary software, contains no unwanted functionality (eg spyware); control over software and data
• not bloatware does basics efficiently
• can’t answer this
• Customization
• Alternatives to proprietary software
• better fits my/our needs, easy customization
• Strong believer in OS
• personal preference; compatibility with home; have to use Win XP to access some important work systems – cms, finance, etc.
• Potential to customize
• it was already implemented when i started.
• we tested a bunch of federated search products, and decided based on cost and user friendliness to go open source
• Firefox is more secure, although unsupported by my IT department
• We experimented with Greenstone as a way of displaying our digital content
• configurability
• There is no other option
• Not listed above
• standard policy 4 most of them
• In some cases we had no funds to purchase proprietary but were able to allocate staff time to install the open source.  Also, we don’t get hit with annual costs for open source – although of course we do support our own staff to maintain the software.
• My predecessor choose it before I arrived
• We develope open source application
• more flexible
• I can devolope.
• a large community
• …and I use most of it at home
• I requested it
• Available
• don’t want to be locked into vendor
• Customizeable
• Customizable
• I could get it and install it without going through a lengthy administrative process
• control… we can control how it is used and customize it more than we can with vendor supplied solutions
• Easy to use
• We try everything
• does the job for free
• Because they let me
• I have to use portable versions, but to get IT to install proprietary versions of those programs on my computer would take forever.
• I like it.
• just about all web browsers are free whether open source or not
• What the university uses
• Freedom
• and it works well and is supported at work
• Applications we have selected require minimal programming/input.
• its easyer tu use one kind of software at work and privatly
• WordPress for blog
• I’m a firm believer in OS!
• less bloat in the software
• FF used *in addition to* IE
• decreases reliance on our IT dept.
• I prefer Firefox
• Useful, familiar
• Open Office is able to open many file types that Microsoft Office is (currently) unable to.
• Better self-support
• we want to switch over to open source everywhere
• Because I refuse to use IE
• installed by tech consultant
• I still use IE but Firefox works better sometimes
• trying to lead by example
• N/A
• educate public
• works as good as closed source equivalent
• familiarity
• Freedom
• more inline with democratic principles of public library
• Fits with the image of a library
• we have our own IT support, and they prefer open source
• My organisation won’t adequately fund library services, so it’s open-source or nothing
• Don’t tell, if they knew I’d be in trouble
• It made sense for us.
• Open source philosophy matches our mission
• faster and secure, free of most malware
• Works equal to other options, but more cost effective
• Recommended by our district tech guy
• my organisation won’t support it and don’t like me using it
• the ability to customize/adapt the software to fit our needs is very important to us. Several of the programs I have written for work use the OS software as a starting point
• Because I use it at home and am used to it
• used by developers doing projects for us