[Fsfe-uk] Re: [discuss] Open source software News

[Claus Sørensen]

On Wed, 10 Mar 2004, Chris Sherlock wrote:

> ... but isn't it the 
> function of industry/individuals/GNU to create software for the masses, 
> and NOT the government?

I agree that it isn't a job for the government.

But the government have a role to play when it comes to using open 
standards so companies and citizens can choose the product they want when 
they want to communicate with the public sector.

Right now the problem is that there is no open standards for office 
documents:

  Microsoft Office 2003 XML formats are not open enought and also lacks 
  implementations of the format in other office suites than Microsoft's 
  own.

  OpenOffice.org 1.0 Format is not and open standard because it is 
  developed by a single company (like MS Office 2003 XML) and it also 
  lacks implementaions in othre office suites which are not derived 
  directly from OpenOffice.org/StarOffice.

  OASIS Open Office XML Format will be an open standard when the 
  standardization work is done. I don't know the time frame but it will 
  be at least a year and maybe two or three. Koffice will also support 
  this format so it will have at least two implementations.

But in Denmark the governmental project Offentlige Informationer Online 
(English: Public Information Online) they are now using these formats:

  Microsoft Office (not XML)
  OpenOffice.org 1.0 
  PDF

The most enjoyable greetings
-- 
Claus Sørensen       Befri kontoret med en åben pakke - OpenOffice.org
Helper/Hjælper       -------------------------------------------------
address@hidden              http://da.openoffice.org/