On Fri, 2007-06-29 at 20:54 +0800, Joel Wiramu Pauling wrote: > On Fri, 29 Jun 2007, Maung Myat Thu @ Billy Aung Myint wrote: > > On Fri, 2007-06-29 at 20:26 +0800, Joel Wiramu Pauling wrote: > > > On Fri, 29 Jun 2007, Maung Myat Thu @ Billy Aung Myint wrote: > > > > On Fri, 2007-06-29 at 17:16 +0800, Joel Wiramu Pauling wrote: > > > > > On Fri, 29 Jun 2007, Anton wrote: > > > > > > I think OpenOffice can open/save both formats. It also has been > > > > > > released (alpha?) for Mac OS X recently. Correct me if I'm wrong. > > > > > > There are also plugins > > > > > > (http://sourceforge.net/projects/odf-converter/ , etc) to help you. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I currently work in a Institute of Higher Learning in > > > > > > > > Singapore, and my wife works in another one here too. In hers, > > > > > > > > the school has standardized > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > on Office 2007 and everyone uses the new DOCX, PPTX formats. > > > > > > > > Problem is, for part-timers like my wife, who is using a Mac, > > > > > > > > not everyone can open the new files, even when using older MS > > > > > > > > Office suites. My wife uses the Office 2004 for Mac suite on > > > > > > > > her PowerBook, and is unable to open any Office2007 files. This > > > > > > > > is incredibly frustrating. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Thankfully, I was able to open the DOCX files using NeoOffice, > > > > > > > > but PPTX remains un-openable (is there such a word?). > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > How do others on this list feel about this? MOE in Singapore is > > > > > > > > very pro-Microsoft, and this is not always a good thing for > > > > > > > > those using alternative operating systems. I feel quite > > > > > > > > repulsed as a consumer, as we are being forced to upgrade to > > > > > > > > Office 2007 just to be able to open the new file formats. > > > > > > > > > > My question is why is there not more active participation at a policy > > > > > level from advocacy groups here? I am new to Singapore, but am fairly > > > > > versed in how the country runs. Decisions such as supporting vendor > > > > > specific > > > > > implementations should be a public open process. Has anyone on this > > > > > list or involved with the OSS community in SG ever tried submitting > > > > > open letters etc. I would be very interested to hear experiences. > > > > > > > > Harish has , on many occasions , voiced out about this issue on the > > > > Straits Times Forum. > > > > > > > > http://ooonewsletter.blogspot.com/2006/04/opendocument-format-benefits. > > > >html > > > > > > > > This is one link I could find from google .. I am sure there are more. > > > > > > > > regards > > > > billy > > > > > > My query is more on a 'organised professional' entity level, rather than > > > the single voice level. I.e In New Zealand the Open Source Society has > > > successfully defeated Microsoft patent application for ODOC, and has > > > informed policy wording on a number of occasions. Normally with backing > > > from other community groups (such as Lugs, and Businesses which use FOSS) > > > > > > I am just curious if there are NPO's in sing doing the same. > > > > > > Does Singapore have a Digital Strategy Document, NZ government made one > > > a couple of years ago, and while not going so far as to define file > > > formats, make a number of mandates about accessibility and future > > > compatibility. Both for Internal and External government agency practice. > > > I was somewhat involved in parts of this so am curious what (if anything) > > > Singapore has done. > > > > I am more curious on how New Zealand Open Source Society Defeated > > Microsoft patent application for ODOC. How was it done? > > > > regards > > billy > > > > Really? Pretty simply really... > > When patents are submitted there is a public disclosure period where parties > can submit comments/objections etc... we just stepped in there. There is > plenty of prior art (Abiword being one of the main sources... it has used an > XML based file format for a LONG time). And the fact it had either been > rejected or not even considered patentable in many parts of the world also > added to the cause. > > more general nzoss stuff at: http://www.nzoss.org.nz/ > > There was alot of coverage in the media, here's one > > http://www.linux.org/news/2006/08/30/0003.html
I never heard of any patents that was applied in Singapore being objected in Singapore before. Weird. Does anyone know of any such instances? That would be interesting. regards billy > > > > On a related note, is anyone on list planing anything for software freedom > day. > > I ran the Wellington event last year, and am keen to do some fairly informal > publicity awareness bits while I am here. > > > I am sounding like a fanatic I know, but i'm not really... I am 100% more > interested in using the stuff than advocating it... but if the business > environment is either ignorant or hostile then I can't do that ;-) > > > Kind regards > > JoelW > > _______________________________________________ > Slugnet mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.lugs.org.sg/mailman/listinfo/slugnet _______________________________________________ Slugnet mailing list [email protected] http://www.lugs.org.sg/mailman/listinfo/slugnet
