Summary

This RFC mandates a preference policy across all FLOSS Uzbekistan member communities to prioritize the use, adoption, and contribution to locally-developed open-source projects over comparable external (non-Uzbek) solutions. The goal is to establish the local FLOSS network as the primary "customer" base and active contributor pool for its own projects, rapidly accelerating project maturity and filling critical domestic technology gaps.

Motivation

Many high-quality, locally-developed projects within the FLOSS Uzbekistan network suffer from stagnation because they lack a critical mass of users and real-world testing. Developers often default to established international solutions (due to familiarity or perceived safety), leaving local alternatives without the vital feedback and contributions needed to mature.

To solve this:

  1. FLOSS Uzbekistan must become the primary customer of its own projects.

  2. By mandating preference, we ensure local projects receive immediate usage, bug reports, and code contributions necessary to achieve the quality and reliability required for wider commercial adoption.

  3. This policy is designed to foster a self-sustaining ecosystem and develop national technical competence, not to restrict open source principles.

I. Detailed Design and Preference Policy

All technology-specific communities (e.g., Rust, DevOps, Haskell communities) and their members MUST adhere to the following policy:

A. Mandatory Preference Hierarchy (MUST)

When selecting a tool, library, framework, or solution for a project (whether internal, personal, or commercial work endorsed by the community), the member MUST follow this order of preference:

  1. Local FLOSS Solution: The solution is developed by a FLOSS Uzbekistan member community or is featured on a community's Local Resource Curation List (Awesome Lists).

  2. External, Licensed Open Source Solution: The solution is internationally available under a recognized open-source license (preferably GPLv3 or compatible).

  3. Proprietary/Closed-Source Solution: The solution is non-FLOSS.

B. The "Local First" Requirement (MUST)

Before adopting any solution lower on the preference hierarchy, the member MUST first conduct a good-faith evaluation of the highest-ranking available Local FLOSS Solution.

  • Evaluation: The member MUST assess whether the local solution functionally meets the required needs or could meet them with reasonable contributions.

  • Documentation: If the local solution is rejected, the member SHOULD document the technical reason for rejection (e.g., missing critical feature, major bug, insufficient performance). This documentation serves as direct, invaluable feedback to the local project's maintainers.

  • Contribution Mandate: If the local solution is adopted, the project members are encouraged to contribute code, documentation, or issue reports back to the local solution's repository.

II. Guide-Level Explanation

To maintainers and community members:

  • Be a Customer First: Before you npm install or cargo add a tool from the internet, check your community's Awesome List or ask in the main chat: "Is there an Uzbek solution for this?"

  • Local Projects Need You: When you find a local solution that is 80% ready, don't discard it. Use it, and submit the 20% of missing functionality as a contribution (bug report, feature request, or code PR). That small effort turns a stagnant project into a stable one.

  • Documenting Rejection: If you must use an external tool, take 5 minutes to explain why the local solution didn't work. This feedback is more valuable than any donation — it tells the maintainers exactly what they need to build next.

III. Unresolved Questions

  • How will the council enforce the "good-faith evaluation" requirement without imposing unnecessary bureaucracy on developers?

  • Should there be a grace period (e.g., 6 months) for adopting this policy in existing commercial projects that already rely heavily on external solutions?

IV. Future Possibilities

The success of this policy can lead to the creation of a "FLOSS Uzbekistan Certified Solution" program, which grants official recognition and potential marketing benefits to local projects that meet stability and documentation standards. This certification would further reinforce the "Local First" policy.