On Sat, 2007-06-30 at 00:13 +0800, John Thng wrote:
> I wonder if there's any Software Freedom Day here before or not.

http://wiki.lugs.org.sg/SoftwareFreedomDay2006 

Cheers! in 2007 too I believe.

> 
> On 6/29/07, Joel Wiramu Pauling <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 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
>         
>         
>         
>         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
>         
>         
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> 
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