Re: [Fsfe-uk] UK Online [centres] feedback: Open Office 2 WAS Free Libre Open Source Software

[Andrew M.A. Cater]

On Sun, Jan 11, 2004 at 10:22:49PM +0000, Martin WHEELER wrote:
> On Sun, 11 Jan 2004, Adam Moran wrote:
> 
> > Until Open Office (or any alternative) can allow me to open or edit or
> > save any Microsoft document without page formatting or some other
> > feature being corrupted, it just ain't worth the fiddle - Open Office
> > may be both free libre and free gratis but my patience isn't libre,
> > nor my time gratis.
> >
> > Joe Fortey
> 
> How intolerant, intransigeant and bigoted of you.
> 
> If the flakey MS format is as important to you as all that, then you
> should restrict yourself to using *only* MS products; and keep well away
> from Linux advocacy lists.
> 
I would second Martin on this one.  I can't even guarantee being able to
do this consistently on a networked system running Microsoft products -
let alone between e.g. Office 2000 and Office 97.  [Try opening an 
Office 2000 / Office XP document in 97 sometime :( ]

Read [1], learn and use the alternatives before condemning them a 
priori.

Andy

[1] Mohammed the Prophet of God (SAW) may have had an excuse when first
commanded to take down the Koran: when the angel commanded him to "Read/recite" 
he could answer "I cannot read".

Succeeding generations have been educated, one hopes.]