Re: Freedom (Was: [tlug] [OT] Say _no_ to the Microsoft Office format as an ISO standard)

[<burlingk@example.com>]

On Fri, 13 Jul 2007 00:14:09 +0900,
"Josh Glover" <jmglov@example.com> wrote
in <d8fcc0800707120814j4188e115y54a89e4c4fe35b8e@example.com>:

> I would like to think that our common cause is freedom to 
> chose; mainly in the sense of one's own freedom, not the 
> "freedom" of RMS to dictate the terms of your "freedom" and 
> not the "freedom" that Microsoft offers to run any software 
> you want, as long as it is black.[1]
> 

I think this is probably one of the most important
comments made in the conversation so far.  On the
original topic, I do feel that the standard that
Microsoft is pushing should be tanked.  Standards
are one thing that need to be totally open, otherwise
they cannot be truly standards.  How is it standard
if only one organization and their licensees can use
or implement it?

Now, that said, freedom is the entire point of the
movement.  There are those who like to push their own
personal agendas (and those agendas have changed over
the last decade), but from the start it was about the
ability to use the software you want the way you want.

This is a two way street.  People have to be free to
choose.  If that choice is Microsoft, then that is their
choice.  The game is about making sure they know what
they are choosing and why.  It is not about making the
choice for them.

People accuse Microsoft of trying to force people to
choose.  We should not force people NOT to use their
software.  If we do, then we are guilty of the same
offense that people accuse Microsoft of.  Their
software is pretty much a defacto standard.  It is
what many businesses choose to use.  We can try to
influence their decisions, and we can choose what we
as consumers purchase and use for our own machines.
However, if a person or company's final decision is
to use Microsoft, then we can't force them to change
their minds.

:P  I personaly preffer Linux.  I have not messed with
any of the Unixes however.  I may give them a try now
that many of them are Open Sourced and freely available.

^_^

-- 
Ken