[clug] AGIMO bad bad bad

[Paul Wayper]

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On 01/19/2011 08:57 PM, Conrad Canterford wrote:
> On Wed, 2011-01-19 at 18:52 +1100, Jim Croft wrote:
>> I work in a government department.  And I say unto all involved: BOO! HISS!
> 
> Ditto. Or rather: DITTO!!

The same (THE SAME!)  I don't speak for my employer or the department I
support, but I know that myself, my boss and most of my team would be totally
against this.

I don't think conspiracy, but I do think Microsoft's plan has worked.  They
wanted to put the words "ISO Standard" on ever since ODF became a standard, so
they got it by the methods we've seen Microsoft use virtually since the year
it was formed.  Now that's all that matters - they have an ISO standard.

I see this as possibly working for FOSS, since:

a) OpenOffice has better support for OOXML Strict than MS Office.
b) Microsoft has publicly said that they have no intention of following or
adhering to the standard.
c) If it's standards they want, there are so many to choose from, beginning
with ODF.  If there's a problem there, MS Office now has basic support for ODF.

But what it really needs is tens of millions of dollars of lobbying, back room
meetings, expensive lunches for all the parliamentary advisors, etc. etc.
This is how these decisions get made - because we are not writing to our
ministers telling them of the problems, and therefore the lobbyists are the
only voice talking to the ministers.  I'm as guilty as everyone else in this -
I haven't written a letter to my minister about anything like this.

And now I have - see http://mabula.net/tbfw/.  I've also received an email
from Andrew Leigh saying that he's forwarded my queries on to the Finance
minister.  (He's also campaigning on electric vehicles - see
http://www.andrewleigh.com/speaking/20101124_electric_cars.html !)

Have fun,

Paul
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