audit recommendation - dump gnucash??

[Adrien Monteleone]

Jenny,

For starters, GMUCash IS licensed. It is not as restrictive of a license as one might encounter when purchasing however.

I would posit that anyone recommending the purchase of software on the premise that its license means bugs will get fixed, has never read any software license. While I'm sure there may have been a few that I've read written by some small frys to the contrary, I don't recall seeing any commercial software license that did not include clear exceptions that the software was offered AS IS, and is not intended to be fit for any merchantability or purpose whatsoever and certainly not free from defects, much less that the software vendor is under any obligation, even to simply fix their software, for any damages caused to any user or their data.

I don't even recall seeing in any license, any *promise* to address any bugs or provide support. (sans a separate paid support subscription)

I would ask the auditors for a more thorough, detailed, and evidenced explanation of their recommendation.

Also, depending on the laws where you are operating, donors may not be able to dictate the details of day to day operations. If that is an issue for you, I would consult legal advice to get that cleared up.

> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 4
> Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2017 20:12:19 +1000
> From: Jenny Redden <reddenjen at gmail.com>
> To: gnucash-user at gnucash.org
> Subject: audit recommendation - dump gnucash??
> Message-ID: <56096E6F-6231-471D-BD94-CB705F8AF182 at gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain;	charset=utf-8
> 
> We are a small non-profit (cash strapped) sports federation in Laos that has been using Gnucash for almost two years, and we are very very happy with the results.  Previously accounts were maintained in excel. 
> 
> We have just been through our first external audit, commissioned by our main donor.  The auditors have included in their recommendation letter that we abandon Gnucash and purchase a licensed accounting system, the implication of using Gnucash being: "Any malfunctions that occur arising from the use of the software may not be rectified by the vendor on a timely basis and that may have an adverse impact on the accounting records of the Organisation?
> 
> I?m wondering if others have encountered similar audit recommendations, and how they have responded?