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OPENOFFICE.ORG NEWSLETTER
Volume 03 - Issue 8 - 02/2006
Please send news clippings to:
newsletter@marketing.openoffice.org
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For up-to-date news visit the OpenOffice.org Newsletter Blog:
http://ooonewsletter.blogspot.com
To read all of this month's stories in full:
http://ooonewsletter.blogspot.com/2006_02_01_ooonewsletter_archive.html
ATOM feed:
http://ooonewsletter.blogspot.com/atom.xml
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Contents
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1. Announcements
----------------
* Lyon is the location for the OpenOffice.org 2006 Conference
* Tajik Native-Language Project announced
2. Success Stories
------------------
* Bristol Switches to StarOffice
* Turkish community lead to distribute over 1000 CDs
* Yesterday OpenOffice.org, today Firefox (French Gendarmerie)
* OpenOffice.org eliminating the digital divide (Nigeria)
3. Featured news
----------------
* PC Authority Magazine: 6 out of 6 Star Rating for OpenOffice.org
* 2 days in Hamburg: QA, L10n and German teams of OpenOffice.org
get to work better with Sun
* Germanophone project starts template competition
* News update from the francophone project
* Finnish Native-Lang Project awarded prize
* Chart re-implementation
* OpenOffice.org beats Works Suite 2006
* SF Chronicle: "Programs besides Office"
* OpenOffice.org Market Share Analysis
* Announcement for OASIS OpenDocument Format Adoption
Technical Committee
4. Tips & Tricks
----------------
* Hacking OpenOffice.org dictionnaries
5. OpenDocument News roundup
6. Clippings
7. Statistics
All news for this month can be found at:
http://ooonewsletter.blogspot.com/2006_02_01_ooonewsletter_archive.html
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Want to help OpenOffice.org? Find out hot to contribute or see our
To Do List!!
http://www.openoffice.org/contributing.html
http://development.openoffice.org/todo.html
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Announcements
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Lyon is the location for the OpenOffice.org 2006 Conference
-----------------------------------------------------------
"...
The voting for the location of OOoCon 2006 finished on Sunday as
planned. A total of 425 people voted and the final results were:
Lyon, France 320
Vienna, Austria 105
...
If you would like to assist to make OOoCon 2006 a success, please
subscribe to conference@marketing.openoffice.org to find out how you can
help [0]. There is always something you can do to help even if you do
not anticipate leaving the comfort of your own keyboard :)
..."
http://www.openoffice.org/servlets/ReadMsg?list=announce&msgNo=272
Tajik Native-Language Project announced
---------------------------------------
"The OpenOffice.org community grows on a worldwide scale. Today we are
pleased to announce the opening of the Tajik Native-Lang project
http://tj.openoffice.org), led by Murod Latifov, aka Mircha Bachek."
http://ooonewsletter.blogspot.com/2006/02/tajik-native-language-project.html
Success Stories
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UK
==
Bristol Switches to StarOffice
------------------------------
"Gavin Beckett, Bristol City Council's IT strategy manager, took up the
challenge of building a business case to determine whether and how
Bristol's 5,500 computers could migrate to an alternative office suite.
Open source software had become a prominent option, and Beckett was keen
to identify what open source could potentially offer.
Ultimately, the council decided to move over to Sun's StarOffice suite.
Based on the open source OpenOffice.org suite, StarOffice provides a
complete, supported, cross-platform office solution. Although StarOffice
itself is not available under the same Open source license as its
OpenOffice.org brethren, the move to StarOffice signaled a key win for
open source supporters. StarOffice not only opens the door to open
source, but it also firmly closes the door to the dreaded vendor lock-in
that plagues its closed source counterparts. This vendor lock-in is
evident in closed source file formats (such as those of Word and Excel)
and would help to keep the user base locked into those applications to
continue to be able to open the files. StarOffice and OpenOffice.org's
support for the OASIS-standardized Open Document Format (ODF) and
adoption of that software in Bristol eliminates vendor lock-in."
http://www.linuxdevcenter.com/pub/a/linux/2006/02/23/bristol_migration.html
Turkey
======
Turkish community lead to distribute over 1000 CDs
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"Turkish Native-Language [1] project lead, Görkem Cetin, will be
presenting an OpenOffice.org seminar in "Academic Computing"
conference in Pamukkale University, Denizli between February, 9-11.
There, he will distributing 1000 OpenOffice.org Turkish CD's along
with Pardus [2] Linux. Main audience will be academicians..."
http://ooonewsletter.blogspot.com/2006/02/turkish-community-lead-to-distribute.html
France
======
Yesterday OpenOffice.org, today Firefox ... (French Gendarmerie)
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After successfully migrating to OpenOffice.org, the french Gendarmerie
(the US equivalent of State Troopers) is moving from Internet Explorer
to Mozilla Firefox...
http://www.forbes.com/2006/02/06/ballmer-microsoft-france-cx_cn_0206autofacescan03.html
Nigeria
=======
OpenOffice.org eliminating the digital divide
---------------------------------------------
"Lagos, Nigeria-based Leapsoft is aiming to over come those hurdles by
providing its Linux distribution in Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo, the three
most spoken languages in Nigeria, as well as English. It is also aiming
to translate Linux into popular African languages.
The operating system comes with translations of the OpenOffice.org 2.0
productivity suite, multiple browsers, desktop search, automated
networking tools, multi-media software, and application development
tools, amongst other things."
http://www.cbronline.com/article_news.asp?guid=5C4A295C-9E88-44CF-9E17-7A42793E79C7
Featured news
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PC Authority Magazine: 6 out of 6 Star Rating for OpenOffice.org
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"Final Verdict: Our pick of the low cost Office Suites has had a much
needed overhaul and now battles Microsoft in terms of features not
just price."
http://marketing.openoffice.org/servlets/ReadMsg?list=dev&msgId=2489144
2 days in Hamburg: QA, L10n and German teams of OpenOffice.org
get to work better with Sun
--------------------------------------------------------------
"last week I was able to spend two days in Hamburg, to meet some people
of the Sun (qa and localisation) team and discuss several topics. As
Jacqueline Rahemipour (Co-Lead at the germanophone project, coordinatin
a review of the german help files within the recent months) has also
been there, we had two days full of discussions with focus on qa and the
localization quality and process. ( But localization process for German
is a real special one).
First of all, I like to thank Joost Andrae for inviting me and
organizing the meetings. And of course thanks to all the people who had
time for the meetings. The atmosphere was positive and constructive."
http://native-lang.openoffice.org/servlets/ReadMsg?list=dev&msgNo=6297
Germanophone project starts template competition
------------------------------------------------
"The Germanophone project has just started a template competition.
From February 6th to March 3rd, all users of OpenOffice.org can send
in their (German) templates to our jury. The best templates will be
awarded, prices are books about OpenOffice.org from the German
publisher Galileo Press. Main price is the complete OpenOffice.org
library from Galileo Press, authored by members of the German
OpenOffice.org community. Awards will take place on CeBIT
exhibition in Hannover, Germany, on March 11th. ..."
http://ooonewsletter.blogspot.com/2006/02/germanophone-project-starts-template.html
News update from the francophone project
----------------------------------------
"...
- conferences in february and march:
. I'll give a conf to a linux user group Gulliver
http://gulliver.eu.org/ in Rennes the 15 february. This time
it will not be about OOo the product, but more about the
project and its organization methodology.
. I'll give another conference about OOo the product, the
project and the OpenDocument format at Grafotech on the
21 february http://www.granit.org/grafotech.html.
The last conference was done by Microsoft ;)
. Another conf with Tristan Nitot from Mozilla Europe will
be done at Editions Eyrolles (publisher) on the 23 february
...
- project work
. we should receive computers from HP France for the members
that are running the testtools. We are going to be able to
run the tests for all the OS.
. we are currently writing a document about the Chart
reimplementation. The goal is to make such documents available
for several functionalities that are or will be under
development but not enough visible through the community
..."
http://native-lang.openoffice.org/servlets/ReadMsg?list=com&msgNo=1064
Finnish Native-Lang Project awarded prize
-----------------------------------------
The Finnish Native-Lang group was awarded as the
Linux Influence 2005 (lit. Linux Maker) in Finland on wednesday, for the
translation of OpenOffice.org 2.0. Especially the quality of the
translations
was praised.
http://native-lang.openoffice.org/servlets/ReadMsg?list=dev&msgNo=6263
Chart re-implementation
-----------------------
"The current chart implementation has a lot of serious drawbacks,
such as a monolithic design with its lacking structure and robustness.
We are therefore reimplementing the chart from scratch to create
a useable base for further development and integration of missing
features. You can find the source code for the new chart in the
chart2 module of the graphics project. The reimplementation is
currently ongoing within the child workspace chart2mst3. The new
chart implementation makes heavy use of UNO (Universal Network
Objects). Thus if you would like to participate in the development
of the new chart module it would be good to start learning a little
about UNO first. A new API for the chart is also under construction.
You can find the chart2 API in the chart2 sub directory within
the offapi module. But be aware that this new API is not published
and is subject to further changes in future - so don't count on
it in scripts or something! Look here for a rough overview of the
code structure in module chart2.
screenshot
If you want to help e.g. with writing specifications or finding
bugs you are welcome to download a snapshot of the ongoing chart
reimplementation. These builds are unstable and full of known
bugs, so don't use them for important work."
http://graphics.openoffice.org/chart/chart.html
OpenOffice.org beats Works Suite 2006
-------------------------------------
"While Works Suite 2006 is the most versatile budget application on
the market, there are others that can still beat it in terms of
value for money. If your budget doesn't stretch to spending any money
at all, and you can do without bundled digital imaging apps or
encyclopedias, then there's really only one option worth considering:
OpenOffice.org 2.0.
OpenOffice.org 2.0 is the freeware version of Sun's low-cost Star Office
Suite. It offers an all-important word-processing application, plus
spreadsheet and database building features. And there's an equivalent
to Microsoft's PowerPoint so you can create presentations. It also has
the ability to read Microsoft Office files.
Home users, small businesses and educational facilities on super-tight
budgets are now regarding OpenOffice.org as a valid alternative to the
dominance of Microsoft's mighty Office Suites."
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews/index.cfm?reviewid=271
SF Chronicle: "Programs besides Office"
---------------------------------------
"Q: I recently bought a new laptop computer that came with a free trial
of Microsoft Office. The trial has now expired. Should I buy a licensed
copy of Office, or are there less-expensive options worth considering?
A: Microsoft Office, with its Word, Excel and PowerPoint, is the standard
set of programs for business worldwide. However, before you shell out
hundreds of dollars for Office, why not try OpenOffice, a free
alternative you can download at www.openoffice.org. It includes a word
processor, spreadsheet and presentation program, just like Microsoft
Office. And it's even compatible with Microsoft Office, so, for
instance, you can open and save documents in Microsoft Word format."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/02/20/BUG86H9SBF1.DTL
OpenOffice.org Market Share Analysis
------------------------------------
"A new OpenOffice.org "Market Share Analysis" wiki page has been
created in order to collect market share relevant data about
OpenOffice.org and OpenOffice.org-based applications.
Please help to collect all the available success stories, analyst
quotes and survey numbers!"
http://blogs.sun.com/roller/page/dancer?entry=openoffice_org_market_share_analysis
Announcement for OASIS OpenDocument Format Adoption Technical Committee
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"The purpose of the OASIS OpenDocument Format Adoption Committee is to
create awareness and demand for a new class of applications and solutions
designed specifically to support and leverage OpenDocument XML. The
Adoption Committee will dedicate its energy and resources to create wide
scale understanding of the benefits of OpenDocument format support
within organizations and governmental bodies through education and
promotion. The Adoption Committee will align and support the activities
of the OASIS OpenDocument Technical Committee by providing market-based
requirements. These requirements will help guide future development of
the OpenDocument specification by the OASIS OpenDocument Technical
Committee."
http://xml.coverpages.org/ODF-Adoption-CFP.html#charter
Tips & Tricks
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Hacking OpenOffice.org dictionnaries
------------------------------------
"Like many features in free and open source software, OpenOffice.org's
spellcheck, hyphenation, and thesaurus dictionaries are based on code
from earlier projects. You can learn the basics about them from the
Lingucomponent Project, but detailed information is difficult to find.
Thanks to an email message from a reader and a discussion on the
OpenOffice.org mailing lists, I realized that no one had prepared
instructions on how to edit the dictionaries. I began to investigate,
using nothing but a file editor and persistence. The investigation was
a mixed success, but I did learn enough to make some basic hacks and
to note where more advanced methods were needed."
http://software.newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=06/01/27/2022227&from=rss
OpenDocument News roundup
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Is ODF an Open Standard?
------------------------
"Conclusions
Without doubt, OpenDocument is an open standard. It meets every
requirement of a rigorous (merged) definition of “open standard,” with
lots of evidence. In particular, there is significant evidence that it
was not controlled by any single vendor.
And that’s a good thing. When I send a pure text file, nobody asks “did
you create that using WordPad, vim, or emacs?” When I send a bitmapped
PNG file, nobody asks “did you create that using the GIMP or Paint Shop
Pro?” Why? Because it doesn’t matter. Data formats that are fully open
standards can be implemented and understood by all. By using them, I’m
free to use whatever tool I want."
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20060209093903413
It's Now a Two Front War: The ODF Allies Launch an Offensive in Europe
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"For years now, the EU antitrust authorities have been (just as the U.S.
Department of Justice had been) bringing actions against Microsoft,
alleging various types of anticompetitive behavior. Of late, things
have been becoming active again in Europe on this front, and this week
things took a novel turn when the European Committee for Interoperable
Systems (ECIS) complained to the European Commission that Microsoft was
guilty of violating antitrust law because it had refused to support the
OpenDocument Format, among other infractions."
http://www.consortiuminfo.org/newsblog/blog.php?ID=2084
Why Standards exist?
--------------------
"Standards exist to enable and encourage multiple implementations,
regardless of the forum in which they are created. It benefits the
consumer. Likewise, a vendor specification regardless of whether it
has gone through a formal standards or consortia forum exists to
encourage multiple add-ons to a single implementation, i.e. it
benefits the supplier. I have never liked the term de facto standard
— it is really a de facto technology. So in our case above, it is
the incumbent's technology that is dominant in a market space.
"So a successful standard (measured economically) has many
implementations. A failed standard is one for which there is only
one implementation. In the ODF case, there are already a number of
product implementations available, derived from the OpenOffice code
base. In the Microsoft Office XML standards work underway at ECMA
International, there is only the yet to be shipped Microsoft
Office 12 product."
http://ooonewsletter.blogspot.com/2006/02/why-standards-exist.html
New Mass. CIO to go on OpenDocument
-----------------------------------
"Administration and Finance Secretary Thomas Trimarco today named
Louis Gutierrez as chief information officer of the Information
Technology Division (ITD), the department that oversees information
technology operations and planning for executive branch agencies.
The appointment is effective on February 6, 2006.
Gutierrez will be responsible for overseeing the final stages of
implementation of the state’s new Open Document format proposal,
to go into effect in January 2007."
http://www.mass.gov/portal/site/massgovportal/menuitem.b6302844a78a31c14db4a11030468a0c/?pageID=pressreleases&agId=Agov2&prModName=gov2pressrelease&prFile=gov_pr_060130_new_CIO.xml
About Standards
---------------
"Apparently, devotees of the C++ programming language are putting
their feet down when it comes to the naming conventions for a project
that's been underway at Ecma. Yes, the same Ecma consortium that will
eventually be putting its imprimatur on Microsoft's XML-based file
formats as a competing standard to the OpenDocument Format (the best
thing about standards is that there's so many!). The related working
group at Ecma has produced a specification for binding the C++
programming language to Ecma's Common Langauge Infrastructure
specification (the CLI).
But, in this case, as being reported on ArsTechnica, the UK is
objecting at the International Organisation of Standards-level on
the basis that the C++ like programming language that's been bound
to the CLI deviates too far from standard C++ to be called C++."
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=2563
Clippings
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* Solveig Haugland on Microsoft Office 12
http://ooonewsletter.blogspot.com/2006/02/solveig-hauland-on-microsoft-office-12.html
* OpenOffice.org at the University of Florida
http://ooonewsletter.blogspot.com/2006/02/openofficeorg-at-university-of-florida.html
* 4 days left for the first OpenOffice.org Developer Article Contest!
http://ooonewsletter.blogspot.com/2006/02/4-days-left-for-first-openofficeorg.html
* United Nations recommend Open Source
http://ooonewsletter.blogspot.com/2006/02/united-nations-recommend-open-source.html
* OpenOffice.org Premium introduced
http://ooonewsletter.blogspot.com/2006/02/openofficeorg-premium-introduced.html
* OpenOffice.org utilises Berkeley DB
http://ooonewsletter.blogspot.com/2006/02/openofficeorg-utilises-berkeley-db.html
* Vote for the next OOoCON location!
http://ooonewsletter.blogspot.com/2006/02/vote-for-next-ooocon-location.html
* IBM, Sun, OOo Say 'No Way' to VNUnet OOo Control Story
http://ooonewsletter.blogspot.com/2006/02/ibm-sun-ooo-say-no-way-to-vnunet-ooo.html
* Interview with author of "Point & Click Openoffice.org"
http://www.xyzcomputing.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=563
* Cool! OpenOffice.org contributors on Frappr!
http://www.frappr.com/ooodev
* OpenOffice.org ad campaign on Redmond buses
http://blogs.sun.com/roller/page/dancer?entry=openoffice_org_ad_campaign_on
* Chhandomay on review of StarOffice 8 Migration Tools
http://blogs.sun.com/roller/page/chhandomay?entry=newsforge_review_of_staroffice_8
* NeoOffice 1.2 is released
http://www.neooffice.org/
* Native support for OpenDocument in KOffice 1.5 beta
http://www.koffice.org/news.php#itemKOffice15betareleased
Statistics
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* More than 57,300,000 have downloaded OpenOffice.org so far
(as of January 28).
* The OpenOffice.org project has more than 34,900 unique people
subscribed to the mailing lists (as of January 28).
* 706 people and companies have signed a JCA and are thus either already
contributing or considering to do so (as of February 27, 2005):
http://www.openoffice.org/copyright/copyrightapproved.html
* More than 470,000 people completed the user survey since the launch of
OpenOffice.org 2.0 on October 20, 2005 (as of February 27, 2005).
Events
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Upcoming
========
CeBIT
9-15 March 2006
Hannover, Germany
http://www.cebit.de/homepage_e?x=1
LinuxWorld Boston
Boston, MA, USA
4-6 April 2006
http://www.linuxworldexpo.com
LinuxWorld San Francisco
San Francisco, CA, USA
15-17 August 2006
http://www.linuxworldexpo.com
Newsletter Archive
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Past issues of the OpenOffice.org Newsletter can be found in the archive
of the announce mailing list:
http://www.openoffice.org/servlets/SummarizeList?listName=announce
Contact Information (regarding this newsletter)
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