____/ Mark Kent on Thursday 05 July 2007 11:15 : \____
> [H]omer <spam@xxxxxxx> espoused:
>> Verily I say unto thee, that Roy Schestowitz spake thusly:
>>
>>>> Doesn't help that Microsoft .doc is a CLOSED FORMAT. Stop complaining to
>>>> those who adhere to sensible standards (ie OpenDocument), and kick
>>>> Microsoft up the arse. Or just kick Microsoft altogether and complain to
>>>> those who would cripple your workday with closed format files and DEMAND
>>>> open standards in the workplace.
>>>
>>> +1.
>>
>> Tempting, but not so easy.
>>
>> Documents arrive from all over the place, including from outside the
>> company, so complaining to some clueless Dilbert that "your report is
>> not in an open format, Goddamit" is likely to be met by a glassy-eyed
>> stare. Most Dilberts have no idea what a .docx or an .odf is, and just
>> save to whatever the "Word thingie" saves it to by default. Bawling at
>> those Dilberts won't make one whit of difference, and will just likely
>> paint you as a looney.
>
> I'm not so sure that I agree with that. I think that if you send around
> enough "proper" documents, then people get used to using them,
> similarly, if there are formats you cannot read, then you should just
> say so, as give instructions regarding what you want to see. Change
> takes time, of course, but not asking means that you will not get, to
> me.
>
>>
>> Upper management tend to be even more clueless, so appealing to the
>> hierarchy is just as futile.
>>
>> The pressure needs to be exerted on governments and standard bodies, to
>> simply eradicate the virus of OOXML and DOC once and for all, and to
>> promote truly open formats like ODF. If you're going to advocate
>> anything in the workplace, advocate OpenOffice.org, as a major
>> cost-saver and a means of greatly simplifying license auditing, rather
>> than standing on a soapbox in the conference room giving a "Here yea,
>> hear yea" speech about ODF.
>>
>
> I agree that governments could do much to help here. Of course, you
> could look at the fools at the British Library who are working with
> Microsoft for document formats which will be supported for a long
> time... really - this is true!
Just to add to this, governments and standards bodies are in Microsoft's
pocket. I don't trust them and signing petitions leads to a symbolic gesture
at best. See:
http://boycottnovell.com/2007/07/04/standard-body-connections/
>From yesterday. I am willing just be blunt and say that we fight corruption
here. Everything you see around you is lobbying, and lobbying is fuelled by
money, to generate more money. Forget about ethics and technical merit.
--
~~ Best of wishes
Roy S. Schestowitz | Mandriva & Fedora - Gotta love them girls
http://Schestowitz.com | Free as in Free Beer | PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
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