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MA To Adopt Short-Term Plug-in Strategy for ODF

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the working-towards-the-goal dept.

feminazi writes "Massachusetts is committed to saving documents in Open Document Format. Massachusetts is also committed to using applications that are accessible. Therefore, the Jan. 1, 2007, deadline for the executive branch to begin using applicationsv that default to ODF is being postponed until the applications can be proven to be accessible. 'Instead, the state will on a near-term basis adopt a plug-in strategy to fulfill its policy calling for executive-branch agencies to make use of ODF ... ITD will be following through with testing of the ODF plug-ins in preparation for a phased rollout, expected to begin later this year.'"

5 of 124 comments (clear)

  1. So if I read it right, then... by chrisbtoo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ... they're saying that they won't necessarily be adopting OpenOffice.org software for their users with disabilities, instead allowing them to use plugins with MS Office.

    That seems like good news - Microsoft needs to produce such plugins in order to keep doing business with the state; users get a choice in the software they use; and nobody's locked in to a proprietary document format.

    Result!

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  2. but they could cut 95% spendings now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why not let people who don't need accessibility use the cheap 'inaccessible' applications, and let the 5% who need accessibility use the "MS Office with a plugin" option?

  3. Postal abbreviations by illtron · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You know, I really hate it when people use postal abbreviations on anything other than addresses. Reading the headline for this, I had no clue what MA was until I read the digest below. That's not a huge chore or anything, but the fact remains that it would have been much clearer from the beginning if they had just abbreviaed it Mass., which is the normally accepted abbreviation. I'm willing to be flexible on stuff like this, but these postal abbreviations were never meant to be used in the context of a paragraph or even sentence of text. Imagine if it was PA... Pennsylvania? Port Authority? Palestinian Authority? Mass. is obvious. Pa. is correct for AP style and others, and Penn. is almost unmistakable in context. Am I being too pedantic?

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  4. Re:Why not Word's XML Format? by jZnat · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ODF is an ISO standard and unencumbered by patents. OpenXML is still somewhat restricted in its licensing, and it is encumbered by Microsoft patents. The only guarantee that the patents won't be used offensively is Microsoft's word (no pun intended).

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  5. Re:Why not Word's XML Format? by tessonec · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Many reasons come into mind
    • Much of the information is stored in binary and enclosed in xml tags. This information is not straightforward to be written
    • Why use a non-standard format when there is already a ISO-standarized one
    • There are already many applications already preparated for reading/writing ODF documents that are already working on a multi-platform basis. Whilst there is only one version of a program (produced by a single company for only two plataforms). Many users did not upgrade yet (and they SHOULD PAY FOR THIS). So that should be a load of money (for MS) which makes no-sense
    • the Massachussets goverment should also pay a lot of licences for that software.
    So, please give us a single reason for doing such a silly thing