Musings

New blog

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 12:35:42 -0500

The new blog's URL: http://ooo-speak.blogspot.com/

The Case for ODF--Presentation Given in Seoul, December 2006

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 18:56:35 -0500

I presented this talk in Seoul for the SoftExpo conference earlier December 2006. I argue here that the open standard OpenDocument format offers real benefits to producers and consumers of information and should be deployed as soon as possible. My argument touches on some of the dangers encountered with using proprietary and isolated formats, then examines what is meant by the ODF and finishes by describing some benefits of using the format.

Free Software Magazine

Wed, 22 Nov 2006 15:27:08 -0500

Am now also blogging for the Free Software Magazine

SoftExpo 2006 & DCF 2006 Korea

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 00:23:29 -0500

Later this month I will present on ODF and OpenOffice.org at the SoftExpo conference in Seoul, South Korea.

The Novell-Microsoft Deal

Mon, 13 Nov 2006 21:21:44 -0500

The deal between Microsoft and Novell raises questions for both the FOSS community and OpenOffice.org. My concern is that the overall community should benefit and that the promise of the ODF should be realized.

The social logic of freedom: talk given at the FSOSS 2006

Sun, 29 Oct 2006 19:13:11 -0500

In which I argue the social urgency of using open standards like the OpenDocument Format (ODF) for storing intellectual property coupled with compliant open source applications. It only really makes things democratic, I argue, if the people can afford the work produced, and there is no guarantee that people will be able to afford proprietary applications; indeed, the very notion of using proprietary applications to archive a nation's intellectual productions seems countersensical.

OpenWengo Summer Projects

Sat, 17 Jun 2006 13:02:30 -0400

The open-source project OpenWengo , which develops communication over IP technology, [0] will soon be launching an initiative similar to Google's Summer of Code, and OpenOffice.org community members are invited to participate. We will need both mentors and students. If you feel you can help mentor students (you should be a developer with a good knowledge of OOo) let me or Julien Gilli know.

Speak Out: France and ODF

Thu, 25 May 2006 21:38:15 -0400

There is at present a public call in France for comments on a proposed reference set that would guarantee interoperability for documents throughout the government. You can help ensure that France makes the right decision and chooses the OpenDocument Format.
This is important and you can help.

The Responsibility of Governments? Open Standards, Open Source, OpenOffice.org

Wed, 17 May 2006 15:52:15 -0400

A preliminary version of the speech I'll be giving at the upcoming LinuxWorld Korea this 5 - 7 June, in Seoul.

Abstract

When it comes to the public documents created by governments, what responsibility do governments have to their people? What obligations are there to ensuring that the people of a nation are able to read the flood of digital documents daily created by the public sector? Historically, we printed the words of government on paper, and if one could read—and it is the duty of government schools to teach people how to read—one could keep oneself informed, and it is the duty of a citizen to be informed, that is clear. But with the advent of digital documents in the last two decades (especially the last), this historical arrangement is shaken. It is no longer the case that knowing how to read will, in itself, lead to the satisfaction of a citizen’s duty. That’s because the governmental documents are likely to be in proprietary formats, requiring not only the purchase of expensive software but also placing the documents on the threshold of the abyss of memory loss: proprietary formats are always subject to the caprices of the market and a hundred years from now may not exist. In a way, the wealth of a nation is risked by the use of proprietary formats for digital documents. What then should a government do in order to satisfy the needs of the citizen and preserve the wealth of the nation?

This presentation examines the problem sketched above and suggests solutions: the use of open standards for file formats and the deployment (and development) of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). I argue that merely using open standards is not enough. One must use FOSS, also, if the desire is to ensure that the citizens of a nation have access to public documents.

Interview by Mark Golden on the general usability of Linux for the desktop

Mon, 15 May 2006 19:09:42 -0400

Interview via email with Mark Golden of Dow Jones Newswire 15 March 2006. Small excerpt published in his article on the subject of the Linux desktop's readiness for the general public on 15 May 2006, in the Wall Street Journal , p. R4.

Interview by Rosa Sposito of Brazil

Wed, 10 May 2006 23:44:52 -0400

In mid-April, the Brazilian journalist Rosa Sposito sent me a long set of questions on OpenOffice.org. I waited a while for it to be published but I have not seen it on the Web yet and as I spent a while answering these questions, thought I would make them available.

From Workers to Illegals

Sun, 30 Apr 2006 00:58:55 -0400

It's May 1 and today is a day of immigrant protest in the US. I am in full support of protests against the nativism that characterizes official debate on immigration in the US. "Official debate" means discussing what to do with the "problem" of "illegal immigrants." The problem with this phrasing is that it inverts the logic. The problem does not lie with "illegal immigrants" but with "illegal employers"; it lies not with those who are exploited but with those who are exploiting them, that is, opportunistic employers.

LWE Boston, politics, and more

Tue, 18 Apr 2006 00:37:31 -0400

I was described by Tina Gasperson as the "most enthusiastic" booth-being at LWE Boston, and I probably was, at least from her perspective: most of the journalists covering the event continued the decade long deprecation of LInuxWorld as a place where anything actually happens. But I think a lot actually took place this time around, and that's due mostly to Leon Shiman's very interesting government day (4 April), where I spoke briefly, toward the end of the long day, on OpenOffice.org and open standards.

Article Contest

Wed, 29 Mar 2006 22:47:57 -0500

A short account: We have a developer article contest and you can compete in it. We need articles for developers; write one, and you can win money, fame, and the infinite gratification of knowing you are helping others.

LinuxWorld Boston...

Wed, 29 Mar 2006 22:31:08 -0500

This blog is not really meant to be a vehicle for marketing or even simple advocacy but it can be used to notify people of important things. One is the LinuxWorld Boston, which starts 3 April and ends the 6th. I sent a note to OOo's announce list a short while ago: