WhiteHouse.gov on Drupal

“A big win for Open Source” - Tim O’Reilly

Anyone who knows anything about software is discussing it, and everyone who works on Drupal is celebrating it. What happened? “The Great Drupal Switch”: Whitehouse.gov has been rebuilt and re-released on our lovely CMS, Drupal.

“Squint a bit, and it's possible to see the White House's move to open-source software as a move towards the idea that collaborative programming can inspire -- or at least, support -- a more distributed politics.” (Via techPresident)

The implications of this move are huge. This government has professed an eagerness to be more open, transparent, and collaborative, and this move puts their money where their proverbial mouth is.

“Open source is a great form of civic participation” says Macon Phillips, White House new media director (in techPresident).

This exciting move manifests openness, and makes obvious sense coming from a President who started out as a community organizer. And when something makes sense, it does so across the board. The qualities of openness and collaboration makes sense in software, they make sense in seeds, they make sense in journalism and yes - they make sense in government.

A government that was borne from community activism is ideally suited to benefit from a software built by an army of visionary hackers.

I recall going to place my vote at the last Iowa presidential caucuses. These events are descended upon by obscene amounts of press, and are spectacles in their own right. However, even among the flashing lightbulbs, zealous protestors, and giant camera lenses, Obama’s supporters were a conspicuously passionate, vocal crowd. Their pure ardor and idealism pushed this President (and his ideals) to the forefront of the evening - and the country. When I think of that group of loosely connected, inexperienced romantics working to successfully push a set of ideals forward, I see the Drupal community as well - and that’s a good thing.

A more open government using a more open software. This is gonna be great!

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Liza Kindred
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Business Consultant

Bio

Liza Kindred is our Business Guru. She's got 12 years of entrepreneurship and business management under her belt, the last four in Drupal. She's passionate about the business of open source, and believes that the ideals of openness, transparency, and collaboration are not just great tools for building software, they are the best way to run a business. She loves giving lectures about open business models.

Liza is the Business Director at Lullabot, and lends her expertise to us to ensure that our systems and processes are set up smoothly for our clients. If you listen closely, you can hear her whispering "win-win" and "set up for success" in the background. In her free time, Liza explores her adopted home of New York City with her daughter, and dabbles in fashion and the arts.

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