Below is a letter sent both to the editors at the Australian, and also The Smith Family.
I thought people on Insights might be interested into my comments below, and have something useful to add. Rodd see: http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,9791286%5E15306%5E%5Enbv%5E,00.html It is ironic to see The Smith Family, who work toward improving the quality of life of low-income Australian, promoting software that these people simply can't afford buy, and shouldn't need to. It would be much better to see The Smith Family encouraging government to promoting software, like open source software, that enables the future of low income Australians, rather than promoting companies that use file lock-ins and anti-competitive behavior to limit software choice. Microsoft's expensive software can easily be replaced with products like Linux, OpenOffice.org, Evolution and Mozilla (for example) that enables Australia's low income families to step across the digital divide, both now and in the future. Microsoft's donation of software may seem nice (and buy them a little positive PR), but these donations are only a stop gap, and in reality reach very few people in need. And, sooner or later, low income Australian are going to have to upgrade, and Microsoft's software isn't getting any cheaper, or easier to move away from. Instead of promoting software that uses 'lock-in style' file formats, that has to be imported into Australia (damaging our balance of trade figures), The Smith Family and our politicians should be working together, to make access to alternative software easier. Until they do, the poor will always be reliant on the kind donations of Microsoft, instead of being able to take control of their own future. Of course, this means Mr Howard might have to forgo a photo opportunity with the Mr Gates. If you're well-to-do, five or six hundred dollars for Microsoft's software might not seem like that much, but for Australia's low income families, five or six hundred dollars is a couple of weeks wages. While donations of software might help are few, most low income Australians will continue to be either further alienated from mainstream Australia, or forced to pirate software so that they can communicate with government, or read press releases from The Smith Family. Rodd ------------------------------------------------------ - You are subscribed to the mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To unsubscribe, email [EMAIL PROTECTED] and put in the message body 'unsubscribe insights-l' (ell, not one (1)) See: http://nsw.uca.org.au/insights-l-information.htm ------------------------------------------------------
