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RMS: Putting an End to Word Attachments
sombragris writes "I've spotted in NewsForge a very interesting editorial by none other than RMS himself on the subject of getting rid of those annoying MS Word attachment that people send. The essay is worth thinking and doubtless worth implementing." I've found that KWord and Abiword both did a fine job of reading Word files - it's the being able to Save As Word where things get messy.
... until you can provide me with an alternative. Windows 2000, MS Office, and Eudora meet my needs quite well; I tried Star Office about a year ago, and based on that experience I'm not going to try again very soon.
Rant and rave all you like about "free software", "open standards", and "GNU/linux", but I have work to do.
Tarsnap: Online backups for the truly paranoid
Letting people know that we can't view a document isn't a bad idea.
Well, except for the fact that it makes us look like incompetent computer users and annoys our clients who now have to take the extra time required to open up the document, save out as text, or paste the text directly into an e-mail message
It's quite obvious that RMS has no experience in the real world where a client says "You must meet the following qualifications to do work with us: (Begin list that includes having MS Word)"
Dinivin
I'm not much for Microsoft's way of doing business, but I will NOT deny the fact that their Word format has pervaded and dominated nearly every market possible. Stallman is making a desperate attempt to reverse this, and all i can ask is - what makes him think that his word (no pun intended) will really change the world?
.DOCs that we have sitting around. When you can do that, you can get back on your soapbox and rant away, because then you might have a few more people listening.
I know I'm going to get flamed for this, but it needs to be said. Stallman is a very prominent figure in the Open Source community. However, Stallman is NOT GOD. He's not even a demigod. This editorial gives me the impression that the man has finally convinced himself that he is some sort of Open Source deity, and that all of his "minions" will be the ones that will finally topple the Microsoft Beast(TM). I know he's never been a particularly effective speaker or writer, but it seems to me that the man needs to get off his soapbox for a while. He's starting to remind me of Katz, for christ's sake...
But I digress.
Back on the topic of Microsoft Word...there's a very good reason that Word dominates the market the way it does. I'll spell it out for those who can't see it: Word has no competition. Simple as that. And it's not because Bill Gates personally hired hitmen to wipe out all the competition. And it's not because nobody wants an alternative. It's because the Open Source community hasn't been able to wean itself off of the old Vi/Emacs crap that it's been stuck with for years. Every new word processor that comes out for Linux/Unix looks, feels, and operates a lot like Emacs. Every Open Source attempt at cloning Word has failed miserably because it's not as good as Word...there IS NO OTHER EXCUSE.
I'll elaborate a bit on this point...RMS, like so many other Open Source developers and advocates, is convinced that EVERYONE operates a computer on the same level that he does. He seems to think that EVERYONE using Windows should have at least three years of programming experience in C or something similar. He's convinced that EVERYONE should know how to compile a kernel and maintain his own source code. He's perplexed by the fact that so few people write device drivers for themselves.
The sad, sad truth is that VERY FEW PEOPLE share Mr. Stallman's expertise. In fact, I would be VERY comfortable saying that at least 95% of computer users do not have even close to the same level of expertise. Moreover, it's safe to say that at least 80% of computer users have NEVER EVEN HEARD of Open Source. That's why Word isn't going to disappear. That's why HR execs are going to continually ask you for a Word-formatted resume. That's why Word documents aren't going to magically go away.
My editorial advice to Stallman: if you don't want to get any more Word documents in your e-mail, design something better. When your superior alternative to MS Word is available, make sure it's free, and that the world knows it. And make sure it's FULLY compatible, so that we can convert all of those pesky
OK Here goes my Karma....
Due to snoops and other l337 h@x0rs I am asking you to send your e-mail encrypted and do not give me information on the Key. This stops evil people from having the ability to function easily.
Thats about the same concept...however his quote was BEST!
"You sent the attachment in Microsoft Word format, a secret proprietary format, so it is hard for me to read. If you send me plain text, HTML, or PDF, then I will read it."
So now I have to buy Adobe to create a PDF for him to be able to read my e-mails...
Also I have used a copy of Word 97 at work for years. I have NO TROUBLE with Office 2K or XP and reading docs. Maybe for the type of work he does txt is acceptable for looks. In my line I need the power of a more robust system. We use Corel for years, however Office IS the Standard regardless of if you like it or not. YOU ARE A MINORITY IF YOU DON'T USE IT!
Razzious Domini
I could be a GREAT KARMA WHORE if I could just shed the few morals I have left.
1. Yes they do. That's why Word has patches and service packs applied to it. Word processors shouldn't have a programming language attached to them either, but Word has VBA.
2. Then explain to me why SQL Server, which can cost $5000 per processor, is closed. Stick that on a four processor machine, and you could have bought a nice car instead.
3. Not important to the argument.
I expect that for CAN$100 to $200, I am able to open up a piece of hardware and do whatever I like to it. I can take, say, the aforementioned coffee maker, and replace the power cord if the cat chews on it.
I can do the equivalent with OpenOffice or KWord, if I was sufficiently skilled. I cannot do so with Word, or any proprietary software. If there is a simple problem with the software, which I think I could fix given the source code and half an hour, I can't. I have to wait for Microsoft to do it, which they may never ever do.
That, my friend, is the point.
Is this post not nifty? Sluggy Freelance. Worshi
Yeah too bad there aren't any alternatives to Word. No one has been able to make a free Word editor. Great article. What cave is this guy living in?
I would argue that RMS is a fanatic. He has no tolerance for anything proprietary. This is elitism. Expecting the world to do something you want them to do is fanatical. I sure didn't vote RMS to be the king of the world so in my view RMS is in fact full of shit.
Expecting everyone to use Open Source software isn't exactly letting users be free. In fact you are infringing on their freedom.
So stop being software nazis and let people use what they will.