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Offlinephi1618
old hand

Registered: 02/14/04
Posts: 4,102
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Mass. sides w/ Microsoft over Office Formats
    #4994058 - 11/29/05 12:41 PM (18 years, 5 months ago)

The state of Mass. was looking into using the Open Office document formats instead of Microsoft Office document formats. The politicians are now convinced that was a mistake, and the former head of IT is being investigated "for attending out-of-state conferences that were sponsored by technology and information companies."

Quote:


Mass. Siding With Microsoft In Office Format Fracas Nov. 28, 2005

By W. David Gardner
TechWeb News



In a reversal, the state government of Massachusetts has thrown its support to Microsoft in an ongoing battle over office software formats and has launched an investigation into the state?s former IT chief, who had been championing open-source software.

?The Commonwealth is very pleased with Microsoft?s progress in creating an open document format,? said the state?s Administration and Finance (A&F) Secretary Tom Trimarco in a short statement on Thanksgiving eve. ?If Microsoft follows through as planned, we are optimistic that Office Open XML will meet our new standards for acceptable open formats.?

Previously, the administration of Governor Mitt Romney had proposed the exclusive use of the OpenDocument format, which has been vigorously opposed by Microsoft. The previous A&F Secretary, Eric Kriss, who was instrumental in fostering the OpenDocument policy. Kriss has left his position, leaving the state?s director of Informational Technology Division, Peter Quinn, without top-level support.

Romney, a Republican who is expected to announce a run for the Presidency, has seen his support for Microsoft buttressed by leading Democrats including Secretary of State William Galvin and influential state senator Marc Pacheco.

In a front-page story, The Boston Globe said Quinn is being investigated for attending out-of-state conferences that were sponsored by technology and information companies. The Globe quoted two unnamed ?Romney administration officials? who said Trimarco wants to know details of Quinn?s trips. The Globe said the investigation was launched after it made inquiries about Quinn?s trips and whether they violated state conflict-of-interest regulations.

Some sources said Quinn?s trips had been approved by Kriss and Quinn has noted he has been in demand as a speaker at computer conferences because of the interest in the state?s debate over the formats.

Kriss and Quinn have supported an ?Open Standards, Open Source? policy, arguing that it would open up the state?s office software business to increased competition. Supporters of Microsoft maintain that that stance would unfairly shut out Microsoft from state business.

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OfflineSeussA
Error: divide byzero

Folding@home Statistics
Registered: 04/27/01
Posts: 23,480
Loc: Caribbean
Last seen: 3 months, 8 days
Re: Mass. sides w/ Microsoft over Office Formats [Re: phi1618]
    #4997571 - 11/30/05 07:37 AM (18 years, 5 months ago)

The US government should not be allowed to use closed standards except when absolutely manditory for a specific application. There is nothing I hate more than getting a @#$$#@ing Microshit Office document in the mail and not being unable to read the thing without paying Microshit a ton of money just to open my computer up to a bunch of malware...


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Just another spore in the wind.

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InvisibleLe_Canard
The Duk Abides

Registered: 05/16/03
Posts: 94,392
Loc: Earthfarm 1 Flag
Re: Mass. sides w/ Microsoft over Office Formats [Re: phi1618]
    #4997946 - 11/30/05 10:28 AM (18 years, 5 months ago)

Quote:


Supporters of Microsoft maintain that that stance would unfairly shut out Microsoft from state business.




In other words, Micro$soft wouldn't have the monopoly they enjoy now. Heaven help us!  :rolleyes:

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OfflineSeussA
Error: divide byzero

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Registered: 04/27/01
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Re: Mass. sides w/ Microsoft over Office Formats [Re: Le_Canard]
    #4998011 - 11/30/05 10:53 AM (18 years, 5 months ago)

All they have to do is open their standards so that the playing field is level and I don't care if they compete in state business or not. Having a monopoly with closed standards should restrict them from being allowed to compete for state (or federal) business.


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Just another spore in the wind.

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Invisiblesupercollider
superconducting

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Registered: 10/13/00
Posts: 1,234
Loc: Waxahachie
Re: Mass. sides w/ Microsoft over Office Formats [Re: phi1618]
    #4998362 - 11/30/05 12:34 PM (18 years, 5 months ago)

Gee, I wonder how Microsoft convinced those government officials to side with them. They must have been very persuasive when making their case. And I bet the government officials had Microsoft's gratitude when it was said and done.


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Supercollider? I just met her!

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OfflineMadtowntripper
Sun-Beams out of Cucumbers
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Registered: 03/06/03
Posts: 21,289
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Re: Mass. sides w/ Microsoft over Office Formats [Re: supercollider]
    #4998454 - 11/30/05 12:53 PM (18 years, 5 months ago)

Maybe its just easier to stick w/ what people know how to use?

I know I grew up taught how to use microsoft products in school, Word, Excel and Powerpoint. I dont really give a shit about all this "Evil Empire" stuff. But when you've used something for 10 years, its a bitch to learn something else. Would they have had to re-train all these government workers to use another program?

I know last semester my Hydrogeology Prof was helping me set up some streamflow/discharge graphs where all my data was in Excel. He was using some archaic Lotus Notes shit that required me to jump through all kinds of hoops to do what would have been a two step thing on Excel.

I'll be the first to say I dont know shit about computers, or programming, or even care, really. But in my experience, the Microsoft programs that I've seen are easier to use than their competitors. Apple's internet browser and OS? That took me 6 months to get used to when they replaced all my labs computers with macs. Very counterintuitive, in my opinion. I know you all complain that your Microsoft OS freezes and dies and is worthless. Sorry, it just doesnt happen with me....

Again, I know I'm in the minority and you techno-geeks will shoot me down in flames, but I've never had a problem with their products...


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After one comes, through contact with it's administrators, no longer to cherish greatly the law as a remedy in abuses, then the bottle becomes a sovereign means of direct action.  If you cannot throw it at least you can always drink out of it.  - Ernest Hemingway

If it is life that you feel you are missing I can tell you where to find it.  In the law courts, in business, in government.  There is nothing occurring in the streets. Nothing but a dumbshow composed of the helpless and the impotent.    -Cormac MacCarthy

He who learns must suffer. And even in our sleep pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, and in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God.  - Aeschylus

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