Re: Kind of hard, really
From: Moz Champion (moz.champion_at_sympatico.ca)
Date: 08/12/04
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Date: Thu, 12 Aug 2004 10:58:59 GMT
Baruch wrote:
> On Wed, 11 Aug 2004 18:18:54 -0300, Charles wrote:
>
>
>>I use Unix-based operating systems with alternative browsers (Opera or
>>Firefox sometimes) and OpenOffice.org. I don't want to use Windows with
>>Internet Explorer. However there are web sites that I absolutely have to
>>access for my job, such as for
>
>
> <snip>
>
> One possibility is to write to all the places where the problem exists.
> Yes, to tell the government to make their Websites available to
> non-standard browsers, by writing to their Webmasters or those who are
> responsible for the Websites. It only takes a couple of minutes to send
> an e-mail. One e-mail probably won't make much difference, but if enough
> people comment on it, the Webmasters may begin to work on this problem.
>
> This might also be something that the various browser writers could
> address.
>
>
>>Not to mention all the times I got .doc documents from work
>
> colleagues,
>
>>that OpenOffice won't display the content properly. This is a lack of
>>productivity, and after all, is it worth it? What do you think?
>
>
> We each need to make that decision. Some people don't care to waste their
> time tilting at windmills. They shrug it off and move on. Others
> consider Open Source a jihad, and will fight every battle to the "death"
> (so to speak).
>
> I once had to deal with some attorneys whose office had something to do
> with a Federal case against Microsoft. One result of that was that this
> office was not allowed to use any Microsoft products, since that would be
> a "conflict of interest" or some such (though they still must have been
> using Windows itself). Often they'd send me files I couldn't read, and
> I'd have to waste hours trying to track down software that could open
> these files. They were truly outside the mainstream, and it showed - and
> it no doubt cost them money in many cases.
>
> The problem is that we've gone so far, it's hard to turn back now.
> Microsoft has a stranglehold on our computers. Even our
> military is using Windows-based systems. I liken the situation to what an
> addict must feel - continuing can only lead to ruin; stopping will require
> a period of intense discomfort. It's easier to just keep on using, and
> probably most people will do just that. However, it leads ultimately to
> being completely controlled by the substance - be it heroin or Windows.
>
> The alternative is to stop, go "cold turkey", to accept the present
> discomfort in the hope that eventually you'll get free of the addiction.
> Some of us are fortunate that we can do this at home with our personal
> computers. I use both Linux and Windows. Even on my Windows computer I
> avoid Microsoft products, preferring Opera, Firefox, Eudora, Thunderbird,
> and so on, and of course OpenOffice. Whenever I find myself using a
> Microsoft product, I try to find something written by another company.
>
> My livelihood (at the moment) doesn't depend on my using IE or any other
> Microsoft product. Still, I *do* take the time to write to Webmasters
> whose Websites require IE, asking them to consider the rest of us out
> there. Most of the time if I get any response at all, it's helpful advice
> on how to download IE for free. Once in a while someone actually responds
> with a more encouraging message...
>
>
I find that difficult to accept. Microsoft and Microsoft product usage
is easily compensated for.
For example, I worked for a major telecommunications firm that spent
over $3000.00 equipping me with Microsoft software for my Macintosh, so
that I would be able to fully communicate with everyone else. They even
paid for Virtual PC.
I found however that I didnt require any of it, except for a non
microsoft product that allowed VPN on Mac. Within a month, I had
removed from my computer ALL the Microsoft software they had provided,
as there simply was no requirement for it. Sure, they still mailed me
Excel spreadsheets, Microsoft Office documents and the like, but I
simply didnt require Microsoft products to access them. For some, I
simply used Appleworks (with translators), others I found online and so
forth.
In fact the ONLY Microsoft product extant on my computer is an old copy
of IE 5 for Mac, which I occasionaly use when investigating
compatability of web browsers.
-- Mozilla Champion UFAQ - http://www.UFAQ.org Mozilla Champions - http://mozillachampions.mozdev.org Mozilla Manual - http://mozmanual.mozdev.org/
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