Hi, I do not often just forward an email I got from some other mailing list, but I thought this was both significant and relates strongly to what happened in Massachusetts.
The prize money is about 3270 US dollars at today's exchange rates. md -------- Forwarded Message -------- > From: Janet Hawtin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: Linux Australia List <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [Linux-aus] Fwd: FFII puts up a prize in fight against > Microsoft Office standardisation > Date: Sat, 07 Jul 2007 21:19:51 +0930 > > http://press.ffii.org/Press_releases/FFII_puts_up_a_prize_in_fight_against_Microsoft_Office_standardisation > > The Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure (FFII), said that > it was putting up a 2,500 Euro prize in its fight against Microsoft's > attempt to gain international standardisation for its Office format. > > Veteran FFII campaigner Benjamin Henrion, founder of the noOOXML.org > site, explains: "Microsoft is spending millions on rent-a-crowd > support for international certification for its proprietary Office > format, OOXML. But we already have an ISO standard for word > processing, called ODF (Open Document Format). OOXML is Microsoft's > attempt to subvert this existing standard, to keep its strangle-hold > on the world of documents. It's time for activists across the world to > stand up, to reach out to their national ISO bodies, and to explain > why Microsoft's format is not open, not a standard, and not XML." > > The FFII is putting its money where its mouth is. The team that makes > the best effort to helping the International Standardization > Organisation (ISO) fight off Microsoft's lobbying stands to win an > FFII "Kayak Award", consisting of 2,500 Euro and the chance to present > their campaign at the FFII's annual conference in November. > > FFII president Pieter Hintjens explains: "In July 2005, before the > vote on the Software Patents Directive, a group of young campaigners > took to kayaks, in the waters outside the Parliament building in > Strasbourg. They fought a symbolic battle with industry lobbyists who > had rented a yacht. The Kayak symbolises individual skill and > collective action." > > To qualify for nomination for the Kayak Award, a team or campaigner > must show how they made a significant impact on the ISO process, "to > defend ODF and stop Microsoft's attempts to corrupt the international > standards-setting process", as Henrion puts it. "Anything goes: > websites, letter-writing campaigns, going to meetings, even kayaks." > > The deadline for nominations is 31 August, and the award winner will > be announced on 30 September 2007. > > _______________________________________________ > linux-aus mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://lists.linux.org.au/listinfo/linux-aus -- Jon "maddog" Hall Executive Director Linux International(R) email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 80 Amherst St. Voice: +1.603.672.4557 Amherst, N.H. 03031-3032 U.S.A. WWW: http://www.li.org Board Member: Uniforum Association Board Member Emeritus: USENIX Association (2000-2006) (R)Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in several countries. (R)Linux International is a registered trademark in the USA used pursuant to a license from Linux Mark Institute, authorized licensor of Linus Torvalds, owner of the Linux trademark on a worldwide basis (R)UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group in the USA and other countries. _______________________________________________ gnhlug-discuss mailing list gnhlug-discuss@mail.gnhlug.org http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss/
