RE: Linux on the desktop

 > While I'm unable to buy my bus tickets without Internet Explorer,
 > or read the latest price lists from my providers (which WILL NOT
 > load into OpenOffice.org, I try it every time a new OO.org version
 > is released), no one will convince me to use Linux.

Boo-hoo.

 > My suggestion to the community would be very clear: crack those
 > closed formats as rapidly as you can and crack them COMPLETELY, so
 > there's no way to produce an Excel or Word document that won't load
 > into OO.org

Big deal. To paraphrase a popular saying, suggestions are just like
assholes -- everyone has one, and you think your own doesn't stink.

Is it to Microsoft's advantage to allow competitors to open .xls or
.doc flawlessly? No, quite the opposite. Therefore a competitor --
Mozilla, OpenOffice.org, whatever -- can NEVER be 100% compatible with
Microsoft formats. Because, you see, Microsoft keeps changing its file
formats with every release. Since new PCs always come pre-loaded with
the newest version of these programs, *everyone* must upgrade MS-Word
or IE or whatever to be able to "buy bus tickets and read prices
lists". This if how Microsoft can guarantee a revenue stream --
otherwise, people will be satisifed with what they have and not give
them MS more money.

You may consider this a "Linux Annoyance" because you think the goal
is to make 100% of the people out there, people like you, to switch
from Windows to Linux. You miss the point. The goal is to provide a
usable alternative for those who want an alternative. If you are not
willing to suffer the slightest amount of incovenience, you should
NEVER switch from Windows.

Instead of providing pointless "suggestions to the community" we just
use the alternative OS and vote against proprietary protocols and
formats with our wallets. If a web site breaks IETF standards, they
won't get my money, but will get a letter of complaint. If someone
sends me a .xls or .doc file, I send it back to them and explain that
I can only read files whose formats are known and published. Sure,
maybe I won't get the cheapest price or whatever -- but them's the
breaks. People like you want to follow the crowd blindly down the
easiest path should not complain when the crowd leads them downhill
(the easy way) and over the cliff.

If you want to use Linux or *BSD, use it, knowing there will be some
inconvenience involved. But don't blame free software for Microsoft's
monopolistic practices.

-s