[clug] AGIMO bad bad bad

[Robert Edwards]

On 20/01/11 17:47, Paul Wayper wrote:
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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.

This is all well and good, but the AGIMO CoE policy doesn't specify
OOXML Strict, it specifies Ecma 376. So not actually relevant.

> b) Microsoft has publicly said that they have no intention of following or
> adhering to the standard.

Microsoft is not mentioned anywhere in the CoE document. Again, not
actually relevent.

> 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.

This is relevant.

Cheers,

Bob Edwards.

>
> 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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