Campaign for Document Freedom: Difference between revisions

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"Previous proprietary document formats have become difficult or impossible to read within little more than a decade. There is no reason to believe this trend will not continue if allowed so to do. Without open standards for our documents we are likely to inflict a 'digital dark-age' on our descendants when they discover that they are unable to read any of the sources for their history, such as Government records, acts of Parliament, property title deeds, scientific research papers, and family histories. They will not forgive us if we fail to

act to protect them now, but instead allow another generation of poorly specified proprietary standards to become widely adopted." - from [http://www.ukuug.org/ooxml/ UKUUG press release]

"In the case of document format storage, a standard is truly important because formats (poor or not) that eventually lose implementations over time carve out blank spaces in our history once we can't read them properly. These same formats are also the source of certain information inequalities in society (e.g. those who can't obtain an implementation for financial, social or political reasons). This may not matter so much for Acme Inc's quarterly reports but it sure does for government, health and other socially vital information. Remember when some hurricane Katrina victims couldn't use the FEMA website because they had slightly older computers? This isn't a made up boogyman, this is stuff that bites us as a society fairly regularly. Now imagine a hundred years from now when we can still read the constitutions of our countries, research papers, poetry and other examples of human kind's great literary works that are hundreds or even thousands of years old ... but can't read the documents we're creating at the start of the 21st century. How will we learn from our history if we can't study it fully?

Getting proprietary formats out of the way as soon as possible so that we do not extend this mess any further than necessary is absolutely the responsible thing to do in light of our (hopeful) future." - [http://linux.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=293507&cid=20548069 Aaron Siego]

'''Document Freedom and Democracy'''

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Make a stand by saving your documents in ODF today. If your application does not support ODF, get one of the ODF supported applications like OpenOffice.org, KOffice, AbiWord, etc

'''ODF vs OOXML'''

Here's a quotation for the ages, from an Alex Brown comment on Andrew Updegrove's Standards Blog (scroll down) asking Brown if he'd agree that ODF was cleaner than OOXML:

"I'd go with that. I think ISO/IEC 26300 (ODF 1.0) can be compared to a neat house built on good foundations which is not finished; 29500 (OOXML) is a baroque cliffside castle replete with toppling towers, secret passages and ghosts: it is all too finished."

Now he tells us. Still, better late than never. And I couldn't have put it better myself. But if it's that bad, why is it an ISO standard? A standard with secret passages is a standard no one can implement unless they have a map and the keys. We don't have either. Only Microsoft does. Thanks, ISO, for this little anticompetitive joke.

[...]

The public cares about ODF, because it realizes it will impact every one of us directly, and we see the obvious, that OOXML is a spoiler. This has nothing to do with market share.

Courtesy: [http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20080414181840439 PJ @ groklaw]

'''The role of standards'''

For users, the benefit of a standard is to have compatibility between competing products in the market. As soon as there are two or several standards for the same applications, these are no longer standards, but mere technical specifications. If there had been only one ISO-approved format, it would have been a means to relaunch competition and innovation in the office productivity market. if there are several, the situation remains the same as in the past. The existence of a dual standard doesn't bring anything more than the absence of a standard. - [http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20080419005201783 Frédéric Couchet], APRIL, the main French advocacy association devoted to promote and protect Free/Libre Software.

'''Rigged ISO Process'''

'''There were 30 in the bed and the little one said, “Roll over, roll over.”

So they all rolled over and 23 fell out.

There were 7 in the bed and the little one said, “Roll over, roll over.”

So they all rolled over and 4 fell out.

There were 3 in the bed and the little one said, “Roll over, roll over.”

So they all rolled over and 2 fell out…

There was 1 in the bed and the little one said, “Norway votes Yes!”'''

by [http://topicmaps.wordpress.com/2008/04/18/the-norway-vote-what-really-happened/ Steve Pepper], the Chairman of the Norwegian mirror committee for SC34 (K185) for 13 years until resigning a couple of weeks ago in protest against Standard Norway’s decision to vote Yes.

==Events==

===On Barcamp Bangalore 6===

Anivar Aravind announced a session on '''Technopolitrics:The ooxml way , An Observation on ISO's banana standard''' on Barcamp Bangalore 6

When: 19th and 20th April

Where: BCB6 Summer Edition, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.

===Candle Light Vigil for Document Freedom===

The Candle light vigil demands India to appeal ISO approval of ooxml based on its comments and no vote. We also ~~demands~~ the Department of IT to draft a clear national policy for the use of Free standards for data storage.

The Candle light vigil demands India to appeal ISO approval of ooxml based on its comments and no vote. We also demand the Department of IT to draft a clear national policy for the use of Free standards for data storage.

This programme is planned as a starting point for various events & awareness campaigns on Document freedom.

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Participate in online discussions at [http://mm.gnu.org.in/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fsug-bangalore fsug-bangalore mailing list]

===On ~~Barcamp Bangalore 6~~===

====On Newspapers====

[[Image:hindu_news_after_event.jpg|300px]]

* [http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/15/stories/2008041554380500.htm Techies protest proprietary standards; seek policy- The Hindu - April 15]

* [http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/16/stories/2008041660721100.htm Computer professionals hold candlelight vigil against proprietary standards -The Hindu- April 16th]

~~Anivar Aravind announced a session on '''Technopolitrics~~:~~The~~ ooxml ~~way~~ , ~~An Observation on ISO's banana standard''' on Barcamp Bangalore 6~~

====Blogs/Online News====

* [http://hpnadig.net/blog/Protest-for-Document-Freedom Protest in front of Town Hall for Document Freedom]

* [http://boycottnovell.com/2008/04/16/ooxml-anger-odf-fud/ OOXML Protests Are Back, Lots of ODF FUD Seen Abound (Updatedx2)]

~~When~~: ~~19th and 20th April~~

====Photos====

[[Image:candles_for_freedom.jpg|300px]]

[[Image:candle_in_darkness.jpg|300px]]

<br>

[[Image:no_backdoor_standards.jpg|300px]]

[[Image:ooxml_banana_standard.jpg|300px]]

~~Where~~: ~~BCB6 Summer Edition, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore~~.

* [http://flickr.com/photos/kushaldas/sets/72157604562832040/ by Kushal Das]

* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/25734428@N06/ by Renuka Prasad]

===Open Letter to Wipro, Infosys and TCS===

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[[Image:DSC01516.JPG|thumb|none]]

[[Image:DSC01517.JPG|thumb|none]]

====Online Coverage====

* [http://boycottnovell.com/2008/04/12/wipro-infosys-tcs-sellout/ Wipro, Infosys and TCS Under Fire for Blind, Self-serving Endorsement of Monopolisation]

===Open Document Format as the default Document standard for Institution ===

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* [http://noooxml.org Say No to Microsoft Offfff---ice broken standard]

* [http://documentfreedom.org/ Document Freedom Day]

==Banners/Posters/Slogans==

* Slogans - [[:Image:Placard.odt| odt]] [[:Image:Placard.pdf| pdf]]

'''OOXML: "The best Standard money can buy"'''

==Articles/Blogs==

===India Specific===

* [http://~~www~~.~~hindu~~.com/2008/04/15/~~stories~~/~~2008041554380500.htm Techies protest proprietary standards; seek policy~~]

* [http://boycottnovell.com/2008/04/13/microsoft-india-partners-standard/ India’s Continued Fight for Standards and Against OOXML]

* [http://boycottnovell.com/2008/04/06/microsoft-strongarming-india/ Microsoft’s Latest Smear Campaign: ‘Disobedient’ Chairperson in India Targeted]

* [http://osindia.blogspot.com/2008/03/indias-comments-on-brm-to-iso.html India's comments on BRM to ISO]

* [http://osindia.blogspot.com/2007/08/policy-challenges-for-open-standards.html Policy challenges for “Open Standards”]

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===International===

*[http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/146468/india_and_brazil_file_appeals_against_ooxml_standardization.html India and Brazil File Appeals Against OOXML Standardization]

* [http://www.noooxml.org/forum/t-61468/south-africa-appeals-against-ooxml-call-your-standards-body-now South Africa appeals against OOXML, call your Standards Body now!]

* [http://www.computerworlduk.com/community/blogs/index.cfm?entryid=753&blogid=14 Has OOXML Broken the British Standards Institution?]

* [http://linux.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=293507&cid=20548069 Aaron Siego's reply to Miguel]

* [http://topicmaps.wordpress.com/2008/04/18/the-norway-vote-what-really-happened/ The Norway Vote - What really happened]

* [http://www.robweir.com/blog/2008/04/sinclairs-syndrome.html Sinclair's Syndrome] - "It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it."

* [http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20080415150233162 ISO puts out a face-saving (it hopes) FAQ]

* [http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20080414181840439 Alex Brown: OOXML is like a baroque castle with secret passages and crumbling towers]

* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/martinbekkelund/2401892968/in/set-72157604470345809/ Demonstration against OOXML]

* [http://www.ukuug.org/ooxml/ UKUUG seeks legal advice on BSI's OOXML decision]

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* [http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/DFE3C11047741AFACC25741F003379BD Microsoft's ISO win may worsen antitrust woes]

* [http://ec.europa.eu/idabc/en/document/7561 DE: German Foreign Ministry will not use ISO OOXML]

~~===On News===~~

* [http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/15/stories/2008041554380500.htm Techies protest proprietary standards; seek policy- The Hindu - April 15]

==Campaigners==

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# [[User:kishoreasok|Kishore A]]

# [[User:sharath|Sharath Shashidhar]]

# [[User:Jay Kiran|Jay Kiran]]

# [[User:Jay Kiran|Jay Kiran]]# [[User:AniVar|Sharath Shashidhar]]

# [[User:Pradeepinrvce| Pradeep]]

# [[User:Rao.nischal| Nischal]]

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# [[User:Ashok Kumar|Ashok Kumar]] 17:10, 12 April 2008 (UTC)

# [[User: aeshyamae | Shyam k]]

# [[User: keralafarmer | Chandrasekharan Nair S]]

# [[User:BaijuMuthukadan|BaijuMuthukadan]] 06:05, 16 April 2008 (UTC)

# [[User:Shiv|Shivraj Kattimani]]

[[Category:Campaigns]]

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 "Previous proprietary document formats have become difficult or impossible to read within little more than a decade.  There is no reason to believe this trend will not continue if allowed so to do.  Without open standards for our documents we are likely to inflict a 'digital dark-age' on our descendants when they discover that they are unable to read any of the sources for their history, such as Government records, acts of Parliament, property title deeds, scientific research papers, and family histories.  They will not forgive us if we fail to
 act to protect them now, but instead allow another generation of poorly specified proprietary standards to become widely adopted." - from [http://www.ukuug.org/ooxml/ UKUUG press release]
+"In the case of document format storage, a standard is truly important because formats (poor or not) that eventually lose implementations over time carve out blank spaces in our history once we can't read them properly. These same formats are also the source of certain information inequalities in society (e.g. those who can't obtain an implementation for financial, social or political reasons). This may not matter so much for Acme Inc's quarterly reports but it sure does for government, health and other socially vital information. Remember when some hurricane Katrina victims couldn't use the FEMA website because they had slightly older computers? This isn't a made up boogyman, this is stuff that bites us as a society fairly regularly. Now imagine a hundred years from now when we can still read the constitutions of our countries, research papers, poetry and other examples of human kind's great literary works that are hundreds or even thousands of years old ... but can't read the documents we're creating at the start of the 21st century. How will we learn from our history if we can't study it fully?
+Getting proprietary formats out of the way as soon as possible so that we do not extend this mess any further than necessary is absolutely the responsible thing to do in light of our (hopeful) future." - [http://linux.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=293507&cid=20548069 Aaron Siego]
 '''Document Freedom and Democracy'''
@@ Line 15: / Line 19: @@
 Make a stand by saving your documents in ODF today. If your application does not support ODF, get one of the ODF supported applications like OpenOffice.org,  KOffice, AbiWord, etc
+'''ODF vs OOXML'''
+Here's a quotation for the ages, from an Alex Brown comment on  Andrew Updegrove's Standards Blog (scroll down) asking Brown if he'd agree that ODF was cleaner than OOXML:
+"I'd go with that. I think ISO/IEC 26300 (ODF 1.0) can be compared to a neat house built on good foundations which is not finished; 29500 (OOXML) is a baroque cliffside castle replete with toppling towers, secret passages and ghosts: it is all too finished."
+Now he tells us. Still, better late than never. And I couldn't have put it better myself. But if it's that bad, why is it an ISO standard? A standard with secret passages is a standard no one can implement unless they have a map and the keys. We don't have either. Only Microsoft does. Thanks, ISO, for this little anticompetitive joke.
+[...]
+The public cares about ODF, because it realizes it will impact every one of us directly, and we see the obvious, that OOXML is a spoiler. This has nothing to do with market share.
+Courtesy: [http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20080414181840439 PJ @ groklaw]
+'''The role of standards'''
+For users, the benefit of a standard is to have compatibility between competing products in the market. As soon as there are two or several standards for the same applications, these are no longer standards, but mere technical specifications. If there had been only one ISO-approved format, it would have been a means to relaunch competition and innovation in the office productivity market. if there are several, the situation remains the same as in the past. The existence of a dual standard doesn't bring anything more than the absence of a standard. - [http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20080419005201783 Frédéric Couchet], APRIL, the main French advocacy association devoted to promote and protect Free/Libre Software.
+'''Rigged ISO Process'''
+    '''There were 30 in the bed and the little one said, “Roll over, roll over.”
+    So they all rolled over and 23 fell out.
+    There were 7 in the bed and the little one said, “Roll over, roll over.”
+    So they all rolled over and 4 fell out.
+    There were 3 in the bed and the little one said, “Roll over, roll over.”
+    So they all rolled over and 2 fell out…
+    There was 1 in the bed and the little one said, “Norway votes Yes!”'''
+by [http://topicmaps.wordpress.com/2008/04/18/the-norway-vote-what-really-happened/ Steve Pepper], the Chairman of the Norwegian mirror committee for SC34 (K185) for 13 years until resigning a couple of weeks ago in protest against Standard Norway’s decision to vote Yes.
 ==Events==
+===On Barcamp Bangalore 6===
+Anivar Aravind announced a session on '''Technopolitrics:The ooxml way , An Observation on ISO's banana standard'''  on Barcamp Bangalore 6
+When:  19th and 20th April
+Where:  BCB6 Summer Edition, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.
 ===Candle Light Vigil for Document Freedom===
-The Candle light vigil demands India to appeal ISO approval of ooxml based on its comments and no vote. We also demands the Department of IT to draft a clear national policy for the use of Free standards for data storage.
+The Candle light vigil demands India to appeal ISO approval of ooxml based on its comments and no vote. We also demand the Department of IT to draft a clear national policy for the use of Free standards for data storage.
 This programme is planned as a starting point for various events & awareness campaigns on Document freedom.
@@ Line 43: / Line 87: @@
 Participate in online discussions at [http://mm.gnu.org.in/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fsug-bangalore fsug-bangalore mailing list]
-===On Barcamp Bangalore 6===
+====On Newspapers====
+[[Image:hindu_news_after_event.jpg|300px]]
+* [http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/15/stories/2008041554380500.htm Techies protest proprietary standards; seek policy- The Hindu - April 15]
+* [http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/16/stories/2008041660721100.htm  Computer professionals hold candlelight vigil against proprietary standards -The Hindu- April 16th]
-Anivar Aravind announced a session on '''Technopolitrics:The ooxml way , An Observation on ISO's banana standard'''  on Barcamp Bangalore 6
+====Blogs/Online News====
+* [http://hpnadig.net/blog/Protest-for-Document-Freedom Protest in front of Town Hall for Document Freedom]
+* [http://boycottnovell.com/2008/04/16/ooxml-anger-odf-fud/ OOXML Protests Are Back, Lots of ODF FUD Seen Abound (Updatedx2)]
-When:  19th and 20th April
+====Photos====
+[[Image:candles_for_freedom.jpg|300px]]
+[[Image:candle_in_darkness.jpg|300px]]
+<br>
+[[Image:no_backdoor_standards.jpg|300px]]
+[[Image:ooxml_banana_standard.jpg|300px]]
-Where:  BCB6 Summer Edition, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.
+* [http://flickr.com/photos/kushaldas/sets/72157604562832040/ by Kushal Das]
+* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/25734428@N06/ by Renuka Prasad]
 ===Open Letter to Wipro, Infosys and TCS===
@@ Line 59: / Line 115: @@
 [[Image:DSC01516.JPG|thumb|none]]
 [[Image:DSC01517.JPG|thumb|none]]
+====Online Coverage====
+* [http://boycottnovell.com/2008/04/12/wipro-infosys-tcs-sellout/ Wipro, Infosys and TCS Under Fire for Blind, Self-serving Endorsement of Monopolisation]
 ===Open Document Format as the default Document standard for Institution ===
@@ Line 68: / Line 127: @@
 * [http://noooxml.org Say No to Microsoft Offfff---ice broken standard]
 * [http://documentfreedom.org/ Document Freedom Day]
+==Banners/Posters/Slogans==
+* Slogans - [[:Image:Placard.odt| odt]] [[:Image:Placard.pdf| pdf]]
+'''OOXML: "The best Standard money can buy"'''
 ==Articles/Blogs==
 ===India Specific===
-* [http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/15/stories/2008041554380500.htm Techies protest proprietary standards; seek policy]
+* [http://boycottnovell.com/2008/04/13/microsoft-india-partners-standard/ India’s Continued Fight for Standards and Against OOXML]
+* [http://boycottnovell.com/2008/04/06/microsoft-strongarming-india/ Microsoft’s Latest Smear Campaign: ‘Disobedient’ Chairperson in India Targeted]
 * [http://osindia.blogspot.com/2008/03/indias-comments-on-brm-to-iso.html India's comments on BRM to ISO]
 * [http://osindia.blogspot.com/2007/08/policy-challenges-for-open-standards.html Policy challenges for “Open Standards”]
@@ Line 79: / Line 144: @@
 ===International===
+*[http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/146468/india_and_brazil_file_appeals_against_ooxml_standardization.html India and Brazil File Appeals Against OOXML Standardization]
+* [http://www.noooxml.org/forum/t-61468/south-africa-appeals-against-ooxml-call-your-standards-body-now South Africa appeals against OOXML, call your Standards Body now!]
+* [http://www.computerworlduk.com/community/blogs/index.cfm?entryid=753&blogid=14 Has OOXML Broken the British Standards Institution?]
+* [http://linux.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=293507&cid=20548069 Aaron Siego's reply to Miguel]
+* [http://topicmaps.wordpress.com/2008/04/18/the-norway-vote-what-really-happened/ The Norway Vote - What really happened]
+* [http://www.robweir.com/blog/2008/04/sinclairs-syndrome.html Sinclair's Syndrome] - "It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it."
+* [http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20080415150233162 ISO puts out a face-saving (it hopes) FAQ]
+* [http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20080414181840439 Alex Brown: OOXML is like a baroque castle with secret passages and crumbling towers]
 * [http://www.flickr.com/photos/martinbekkelund/2401892968/in/set-72157604470345809/ Demonstration against OOXML]
 * [http://www.ukuug.org/ooxml/ UKUUG seeks legal advice on BSI's OOXML decision]
@@ Line 86: / Line 159: @@
 * [http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/DFE3C11047741AFACC25741F003379BD Microsoft's ISO win may worsen antitrust woes]
 * [http://ec.europa.eu/idabc/en/document/7561 DE: German Foreign Ministry will not use ISO OOXML]
-===On News===
-* [http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/15/stories/2008041554380500.htm Techies protest proprietary standards; seek policy- The Hindu - April 15]
 ==Campaigners==
@@ Line 100: / Line 171: @@
 # [[User:kishoreasok|Kishore A]]
 # [[User:sharath|Sharath Shashidhar]]
-# [[User:Jay Kiran|Jay Kiran]]
+# [[User:Jay Kiran|Jay Kiran]]# [[User:AniVar|Sharath Shashidhar]]
 # [[User:Pradeepinrvce| Pradeep]]
 # [[User:Rao.nischal| Nischal]]
@@ Line 147: / Line 218: @@
 # [[User:Ashok Kumar|Ashok Kumar]] 17:10, 12 April 2008 (UTC)
 # [[User: aeshyamae | Shyam k]]
+# [[User: keralafarmer | Chandrasekharan Nair S]]
+# [[User:BaijuMuthukadan|BaijuMuthukadan]] 06:05, 16 April 2008 (UTC)
+# [[User:Shiv|Shivraj Kattimani]]
+[[Category:Campaigns]]