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.

Comments

Re:RMS spouting off (as usual)

[demaria]

"Honestly, the people that attach word docs are usually the people that give you a blank stare when you say words like 'linux' and 'unix'"

I attach word documents every day. My organization has standardizied on Word, and for good reason too. It works decently, and can read the notes and information vendors send me. The above generalization is so far removed from reality its silly.

Why RMS just doesn't get it...

[sheldon]

First, I realize that this article is probably fictional as I doubt RMS actually receives email with Word attachments.

But I don't think he understands his audience. For when RMS tells someone, "You sent the attachment in Microsoft Word format, a secret proprietary format, so it is hard for me to read."

That person is going to say "Well then buy a real computer, you bone head."

RMS is full of shit

[Peter Dyck]

RMS: Someone I know was unable to apply for a job because resumes had to be Word file

Oh give me a break!

How hard can it be to find a computer with Word installed? Is buying the de facto standard word processor that much to be asked?

Most computers come with Microsoft Windows pre-installed. Getting the MS Office suite isn't that difficult (either legally or illegally).

The only reason you would NOT use MS Office is ideology.

If you want to suffer for free software, that's your prerogative but don't whine about it then!

I used to be a die-hard free software fanatic who wouldn't reply to html e-mails or e-mails that contained MS Office attachments.

Then I got a job and learnt that tolerance instead of shitty elitism is the way to go. Too bad RMS never learnt that.

Re:RMS is full of shit

[Lemmy Caution]

If a job were on the line, anyone could go to a Kinko's, spend 2 dollars and convert their document to Word using a computer they leased for 15 minutes.

What a bunch of whiny babies - if that requirement is such a burden, how do you expect single mothers on AFDC to ever pull themselves up?

Re:RMS is full of shit

[Red Avenger]

A BA in English? Really were they just handing those out one day at Jack in the Box and you decided to pick one up?

You said:
Asking that no one dare bring the topic up because it disagrees with your world-view and because you happen to think that everyone should just conform and use YOUR choice is unreasonable.

You are asking that I change something that I normally do because it doesn't match up with your world-view of everyone sending html or doc.foo's . Asking me to do something specifically for you is unreasonable and I wont do it.

Sorry bud but you just don't make much sense. For an analogy sense that seems to be popular with the open source crowd its like everybody plays basketball with basketballs. Then you come along and want to play basketball with footballs instead. Something just aint clicking upstairs is it?

Re:RMS is full of shit

[Red Avenger]

See thats your world view. Not mine. Guess what no email client that I know of reads Word attachments natively. Have you ever received an attachment before? Let me explain to you how this new fangled technology works.

Say I send you an email with a word attachment. You don't use pine to read the attachment you would use another application. You would then need another program to open up that attachment. Since you mention you are using pine and mutt I will assume you are on a unix based platform. Their are freely available word viewers on this platform. Check out AbiWord, KWord, Open Office and Star Office. Alot of these do a pretty good job at opening them up.

Saying that you can't read a Word document on *nix is completely untrue and an outright lie. I suspect you don't like .Doc because it was created with Word and moreover a format created by Microsoft. Again, not a very good reason. Get over yourself and stop being a software Nazi.

If you need any more basic computer help please feel free to let me know. I am here to help poor souls like yourself. I would also recommend a couple books that you can find in any major book store. Look under the "For Dummies" section.

even linux companys

[theirpuppet]

I work at a Linux Company. We develop a Linux Management Solution. Over 90% of the employees run linux only. Only management (business side) runs Winbloze. It's all they know, the rest of us are adaptable, and linux junkies.

When my boss sends documents to my group, he sends it in M$ format. We bitch, whine, complain, give long essays about Open Standards, M$ monopoly on Office, and how basically we never read what he sends us.

Yes, Star Office and Open Office sucks. Trust me. We had a Sales guy who tried the linux route, he couldn't cut it. He could barely read what clients sent him, and they could not read what he sent them. End of discussion.

More support for Open Standards, a real judgement (one that is also upheld) against M$ monopoly, and more time for Open Source to become even more of a force in the enterprise, will lead to real openess that RMS and millions promote and fight for on a daily basis.

In the end, my company has put more effort in PDF, HTML, and we've got a winbloze box in the office I share.

Wow indeed

[UberOogie]

You're kidding, right?

I mean, I'm with you if you mean "reasonable for RMS," but did you read the "polite" responses he had?

Can you imagine how anyone in the mainstream corporate world would react to any of them?

At best, they'd think you're a paranoid loon. At worst, they'd get furious at you and spread their opinions to others.

Tons of people following this advice would be the single biggest setback that free software would have in the corporate world.

That said, an actual polite response would probably get some effect. Something explaining that you do not use Word, what formats you'd accept, and how to do so in Word.

Re:What he fails to realize...

[AnalogBoy]

I think he also forgets that the world isn't completely populated by doped-up, conspiracy theorizing, Unsatiable fanatics who haven't quite made it out of the 1980's university computer philosophy mindset.

Stallman:Computers::Phelps:Religion

Of course, some would say, using the messianic POV:

Stallman:Computers::Christ:Judaism,

and i'd say most of these people are here.

but i'd counter with
Stallman:Computers::Christ:Gnostic Christianity

I do agree. Computers are a tool. I use that analogy quite often. When i want to use a drill, i don't want to build it myself. I'd rather get it from Black and Decker. Now black and decker tools arent ment to explode at random intervals.. but the last crash of windows i've ever had that was windows' fault was in 98.

Re:how's this for a solution?

[xxyyxxzz]

Formatting it in RTF format really doesn't make it available to _that_ many more people. There aren't many offices that haven't standardized on Word for their office productivity app.

In fact, I'd be willing to bet that switching to RTF would affect productivity more than receiving the occasional request for a non .doc formatted document.