Aside from the story itself, what's really interesting here is where it is: Reuters.co.uk. The mainstream press.

SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) - Open programming software is gaining momentum in Brazil with the help of the government, which says it wants to develop domestic technology without having to pay hefty license fees charged by software giants.

"Opting for free software doesn't just take into account costs. It's about knowledge development," said Sergio Amadeu, the president of the government's Information Technology Institute (ITI), who is in charge of replacing proprietary software like now in federal computers with open codes like Linux...

In the developing world, despite what many marketing campaigns may say - knowledge development is quintessential. Don't give arguments about cost, viruses, total cost of ownership. Talk about intellectual usability. Talk about knowledge development.

Buying components off the shelf may make more sense when it comes to cost, but it also leaves one enslaved to what is on the shelf.