Linked by Eugenia Loli-Queru on Thu 3rd Nov 2005 01:40 UTC, submitted by Andy Updegrove
After a month of news largely dominated by pro-ODF announcements, such as the release of ODF-compliant office suites, patent non-assertion pledges and the like, the opposition has just lowered the boom. And if they are successful, it's a big one.
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When the news first broke that Massachussetts would be adopting the OpenDocument format, many open source/free software advocates declared victory -- prematurely it seems. This is the big chance for others to complete on a level playing field with Microsoft, if ODF is officially adopted. As it is, it's obvious that Microsoft has a lot of clout, and still has time to fight the implementation of the policy. The writer of the article is correct, this is a potentially huge setback for the adoption of ODF in Massachussetts, and to the acceptance of open standards and software in general.
Don't underestimate how important this moment can be for the future of free and open source software, and competitiveness in the technologicial market in general. As others have suggested, write your senator to know how you feel, do not let corporate interests dictate how politicians exercise their power in this case. And for all of those open source enthusiasts, please do not assume the battle will eventually win itself, it belittles the hard work that has been done so far, and the even harder work to be done.
Finally, a thank you to the some of the unsung heroes of this saga: the civil servants in Massachussetts who are responsible for necessitating an open standard in the first place, and not just bowing down to Microsoft. They are on the front lines at the moment and Microsoft is using every ounce of leverage they can in order to scrutinize and override this decision.