On Mon, 2005-03-10 at 11:58 -0600, Robin Laing wrote: > Jeff Vian wrote: > > On Sat, 2005-10-01 at 23:16 -0400, Nancy Merckle wrote: > > > >>On Fri, 30 Sep 2005, Tom Pangborn wrote: > >> > >> > >>>"... and word was no > >>>longer available ; How would ..." > >>> > >>>Wouldn't you just install the old version of Word, the one the file(s) > >>>were created with? Wait a minute, we're pretending aren't we. > >> > >>We weren't pretending when higher ups decided that we would now all be on > >>a Word standard. This required all official documents for our office to > >>be produced in Word format. After 18 years of a Word Perfect standard, > >>there were a lot of legacy documents to be converted to Word. Neither > >>Word nor Word Perfect was able to convert complex documents from one > >>format to the other. Many hours were spent (by others) converting > >>documentation from WP to Word. There are now less than a dozen licenses > >>for WP in the division, so finding someone to convert a legacy document > >>can be difficult. > >> > >>When OOo announced its upgraded Word Perfect filter about 18 months ago, I > >>was experimenting with it and a co-worker mentioned a document with tables > >>that he had tried to convert with no success. He e-mailed me the > >>document, I opened it in OOo, saved it in Word format and e-mailed it > >>back. It may not have been perfect, but he was very happy. > >> > >>With OOo, I'm no longer concerned about loosing access to my Word Perfect > >>Documents. Also, I can read Word docs, without having to send $ to M$ for > >>the privilege. (It is provided at work, but I don't even have to use it > >>there.) > >> > >>My point is that sometimes old versions of the software are not available, > >>having been removed for security purposes, non-renewal of the license, or > >>the only remaining copy of the software died on a dead hard drive. > >> > >> > >>Nancy > >> > > > > And that scenario IMHO is what using an open document format is expected > > to eliminate. Using one proprietary format (WP) and having to convert > > to another (M$) is a nightmare. If the format were open then it would > > not matter which work processing tool you were using. They all could > > read/write it. > > > > We are working on a new archival system for our work. Not only > documentation but data files and many other file types. I pushed from > day one that all saved and archived formats must be open formats for > just the reason you post. > > - > Robin Laing We could only wish to have management that could understand these issues. I know from experience, that management bought the MSFT propaganda, and ignored what the IT department proposed. I am the only person left in the office that is not using MS Office. The only thing that allows me to keep a Linux workstation is that I am the senior network administrator. As long as I export my documents in Excel or Word formats management doesn't care. I just don't make ripples anymore, because last time I brought it up I was almost forced to switch to windows. I saved myself using the, catastrophic virus vulnerability scenario, where all the windows machines could crash, but we would still have one workstation to maintain the system. I am not sure if they bought it or just gave in, but my Linux machine survived that gauntlet.
