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French National Assembly Embraces Open Source
eldavojohn writes "The French National Assembly is in the news as they have recently switched to Linux, OpenOffice.org & open source software at the request of several deputy members. Bernard Carayon wrote it it into the proposal entitled 'On Equal Terms' [French PDF]. From the article, 'IT staff at the National Assembly have almost six months to prepare the switch to open source.' The same document urged France to adopt ODF as a standard. Hopefully things go more smoothly for them than the Birmingham library effort."
I guess now we'll have to stop making fun of the French... ~:->
... and, as far as I could understand (I lack some French) is focussed on a better usage of economic resources - that is - why pay M$ Euros. Good move.
And my bias is that France (for short) will not be bribed by M$s.
CC.
TaijiQuan (Huang, 5 loosenings)
Freedom software... that's 'freedom' as in 'fries'.
The real Ralph Yarro posts as Anonymous Coward. Anyone else is an impostor.
While the rest of the world umms and ahhs about OSS and things like nuclear power, the French just get in there and do it. Despite the poor attitude that many have towards the French (you know who you are!), you've really got to admire them sometimes. :)
biopowered.co.uk - catalytically cracking triglycerides for home automotive use since 2008. Just say no to big oil!
I'd quite happily move to France. Just thought I'd say that. As long as I could have a girl like Letitia Casta, or Virginie Ledoyen.how about melissa theuriault :)
...considering that the assembly recently voted the infamous DADVSI law on copyrights etc. remember when there were talks here on slashdot about a global licence for music and everything? well, everything got thrown out, and the so-called "Universal" amendments were brought in. Universal referring to the music magnate of the same name. Essentially, it is illegal in France to distribute or even promote software that "obviously" aim at sharing copyrighted material. Downloading and sharing mp3s is still assimilated to counterfeiting and thus theoritically punishable by up to 300 000 fines and some years in jail. Other amendments are so clearly incompatible with OpenSource practices that many companies, associations, and experts have repeatedly sent petitions and warnings. To no avail. And today the assembly annouces it will run Linux. Maybe they will realize that in order to view DVDs legally bought, one has to circomvent protections (which is illegal according to the DADVSI law). As a Frenchman though, I welcom this annoucment even though it is a small joy after the DADVSI fiasco. At least the inner workings of our democracy will not depend on a foreign company's goodwill.
~~~ Paf. Le chien.
The same parliament voted recently for the most restrictive copyright law in Europe, a law that could potentially kill french open source projects, and that was practically written by the French RIAA, there is a sweet smell of irony in the air...
On the other hand that was probably the plan all along: write a stupid law to placate the RIAA/MPAA of this world. A law so totally impossible to enforce, that any case brought in front of a court would be laughed out of the justice system. And then, benefit from Open Source, safe and sound in the knowledge that you [the members of Parliament] have taken your bribe, and you get to benefit from Open Source on top of it. Bastards.
And if you think I am making this up, I invite you to read the documents in the link above and discover the whole sorry mess for yourself.
[As a side note: I am French, and I despise all these wankers, so take this not as a troll, but a letting off steam.]
[Side note 2: also, I was one of the few French who actually took the time to protest the whole thing, so don't give me the "you should have done something" line Mmmmmm'kay?]
The right to offend is far more important than the right not to be offended. (Rowan Atkinson)
Not that I want to be off-topic or a troll at all, but...
;-) ) think that state and religion are to be separated and religion is a private matter.
Yeah right, like wearing burqas was a way for women to free themselves... On second though, maybe not ! Maybe next step is to allow men to pour acid on unfaithful women because, clearly, they deserve it and by not allowing it we impede men's freedom.
But, wait ! Burqas are not forbidden in France, they're only forbidden in public school (along with kippas or too big christian cross), because, we (you should have guessed I'm French by now
Yeah, they're using fenêtres instead :)
Of course they are going to hell, where else do you think they will be able to find loose women (or men) and good wine ?
And of course all the dead pan humorist, and agnostics thinkers, funky artists and other enemy of orders.
Email replies should always start at the bottom, unless your writing in a language that reads from the bottom upwards (do any exist? theres a few left to right languages but i`m not sure about bottom to top)...
Trying to follow a conversation where the reply comes BEFORE the original question is a horrendous thing to do, this is known as top posting... And consider the following short example:
A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text.
Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing?
A: Top-posting.
Q: What is the most annoying thing on usenet and in e-mail?
Ever noticed how on slashdot, the story is at the top, and the comments descend from there, with child posts being below their parents etc... Now imagine the whole thing upside down.
http://spamdecoy.net - free throwaway anonymous email - avoid spam!
Mandriva is as close to a French national distro as Red Hat is an american national distro or SuSe a german national distro.
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I have discovered a truly marvelous proof of killer sig, which this margin is too narrow to contain.