Hi, Tathagata spewed the following electrons:
> IMHO, cut out SO and PPT and make it OO only. it should be a LUG policy > that files downloadable from our website will be open-format and created > with free software. otherwise it may look like ilug-cal is endorsing the > use of non-free software. people not using linux shouldn't have a > problem, because OO is available for winduhs, too. another > advantage is, this does away with the need to mention additional viewing > software. Well, I beg to differ. From an entirely practical point of view, most new linux users today and more importantly, almost all the would-be users are entirely from the Windows world. Suppose, we have a slideshow comparing how a certain free software application server measures up to its closed source counter-part, enforcing a policy like that would leave a lot of potential users out of the loop who might be interested in studying the benefits but can't do it. Enforcing a policy like that would create an unnecessary entry barrier to ppl for still do not have Linux as their primary OS. As for OO being available for Win32, sure, but seriously, how many windows users have even heard of it? A windows user wud first have to get hold of additional s/w to view it. By the time he has everything in place, he may already have lost his interest. I'm talking about someone who isn't involved yet and is only flirting with the idea. FWIW, going by FSF dogma, I guess even PHP isn't exactly "free", so perhaps we should move our site to some other scripting engine? ;-) Ideology is good, but is Operating System puritanism (if-you-come-via-the-free-software-road-only-then-thou-shalt-be-blessed) the road we want walk on? Food for thot? --indra. -- To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the body "unsubscribe ilug-cal" and an empty subject line. FAQ: http://www.ilug-cal.org/node.php?id=3
