On Tue, May 08, 2007 15:49:54 PM -0400, Amy Templeton ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) wrote:
> Hey all, > > Can anybody recommend a *really, really convincing* source of > information I can give people/my college that will aid in deterring > them from trying to force people to use MS-Office files (by sending > them via email and posting them on official college sites)? ones > I've been using (http://goldmark.org/netrants/no-word/attach.html > and http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html) just > aren't cutting it Amy, yes, that language isn't the same spoken by non programmers. Now: 0) knowing more could be useful to define a line of action 1) as far as official college sites go, it depends on where the college is and whether it is a public one or not. Some countries and states *have* laws that mandate that public electronic documents must be published at least in non proprietary formats. In the USA, Pam Jones of Groklaw.net may be able to help you to find this out. IF this is your situation, threatening a lawsuit or at least communicating to any news outlet in a 500 miles radius may move something. 2) I don't know how much it can help in your situation, but here's a success story of a University organization which was "encouraged" by popular pressure to rethink its not-so-indirect software advertising: http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/8739 It may offer you some hints on how to proceed. 3) Another angle may be to point out that several states are moving to open formats: http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/02/06/HNtexasminnodf_1.html and explain why Universities should be the first ones to follow this example 4) I haven't actually opened it yet, but the database here: http://digifreedom.net/node/55 is meant just to list good and bad (from this point of view) schools and Universities worldwide, both to help all of them to get the kind of coverage they deserve, and to help students to find out in advance and avoid the wrong places. You and everybody else is encouraged to send me off list any relevant material. Obviously, you are also encouraged to pass around this request as much as you can. Hope these comments are useful. Feel free to contact me off list if you need more support. Best Regards, Marco Fioretti -- Help *everybody* to love Free Standards and Free Software: http://digifreedom.net/node/80 -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]