[Linux-aus] re. Drupal Story on Computerworld

Thu Aug 27 09:56:24 EST 2009

True - that is a good point. ;)

2009/8/27 <linux-aus-request at lists.linux.org.au>

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> Today's Topics:
>
>   1. Re: Drupal story on Computerworld (Jeremy Visser)
>   2. Re: [Osia-discuss] Tax office - Open Source policy
>      (Stuart Guthrie)
>   3. Re: Drupal story on Computerworld (Jeremy Visser)
>   4. Re: Drupal story on Computerworld (Bret Busby)
>   5. Re: [Osia-discuss] Tax office - Open Source policy (Daniel Mons)
>   6. Re: Drupal story on Computerworld (Dahna McConnachie)
>   7. Re: Drupal story on Computerworld (Jonathan Oxer)
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Jeremy Visser <jeremy at visser.name>
> To: Dahna McConnachie <dahna.mcconnachie at gmail.com>
> Date: Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:11:00 +1000
> Subject: Re: [Linux-aus] Drupal story on Computerworld
> Just one comment: you spelled WordPress as "Wordpress", not "WordPress".
>
> Not sure if you have the opportunity to correct the article after it is
> published, but the WordPress folks would really appreciate you doing so,
> as they are quite pedantic about the spelling. :)
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Stuart Guthrie <stuart at polonious.com.au>
> To: Open Source Industry Australia <osia-discuss at lists.osia.net.au>,
> linux-aus at lists.linux.org.au
> Date: Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:19:32 +1000 (EST)
> Subject: Re: [Linux-aus] [Osia-discuss] Tax office - Open Source policy
> Hi Ron
>
> Thanks for including the list on this, I think there is a better response
> than this one on it's way from the committee but this is just my two cents.
>
> Obviously it would be better for the ATO to use an open and published
> standard such as ODF (Open Document Format). There are many products that
> support this standard and it can be read and written on all major operating
> systems including Linux, OSX, OpenSolaris and Windows.
>
> Any customer needing access to read/write with the tax office can download
> at least one implementation of this standard for free from
> http://www.openoffice.org.
>
> The issue of long-term viability of the documents is a point that also
> should be considered. There are numerous articles including this:
>
> http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/selecting_file_formats.pdf
>
> http://www.interpares.org/display_file.cfm?doc=ip2_file_formats(complete).pdf<http://www.interpares.org/display_file.cfm?doc=ip2_file_formats%28complete%29.pdf>
>
> A whole chunk from Aust. Fed Govt National Library:
>
> http://www.nla.gov.au/padi/topics/612.html
>
> Most of the articles from these institutions outline the importance of
> open, defined standards to make long term storage possible. I would have
> thought that this would be an important consideration for communications
> with the tax office.
>
> Example: How would the ATO go retrieving and reading a document in AMIPRO
> or WORD PERFECT 2.0 format? Neither I believe had open defined standards.
> I'm imagining the same problem in 10 years for MS office from the mid-90's.
> The software would not be around and it would get increasingly hard to read.
>
> This may not cut it however. The second best (but still bad) compromise is
> that everyone uses the halfway house of PDF to communicate. In 99.9% of all
> cases, the communication is one-way and there is not expected to be editing
> of the document at the other end. PDF is mostly documented and  many tools
> can read/write it's formats. While it's not as good as ODF, it's a sort of
> 'standard' with many tools able to read/write it.
>
> I think it's probably an acceptable compromise. For now.
>
> Finally, the option of just using WORD is unacceptable to low income people
> unless the government wants to promote software piracy. No person should be
> forced to break the law because they are required to respond to the ATO
> using a product that they cannot afford and therefore must steal. Surely an
> open, free and ubiquitous alternative is preferrable.
>
> HTH
>
>
> Stuart
>
> ----- "Ron Skeoch" <skeoro at muli.com.au> wrote:
> > Hi all
> > As a member of Tax office SDGC (Software developers Consultative Group).
> > I have been pushing to ensure that all tax office communications
> > (particularly web site and technical documentation) is compliant with
>  W3C
> > Muli are working to ensure that SBR (Standard Business Reporting)
> > is able to be implemented using Open Platforms & tools.
> >
> > There has been a movement to revert to allowing Microsoft word
> > as an allowable communication medium.
> >
> > I have requested this position be reversed.
> > As a result of discussions the Tax office has published a policy,
> >
> > > http://www.ato.gov.au/corporate/content.asp?doc=/content/48886.htm
> > This policy is to be discussed at our next meeting
> > Any thoughts and/or feedback would be gratefully received
> > so I can present a stronger well rounded view.
> >
> > Regards
> >
> >
>
> --
> Best regards
>
> Stuart Guthrie
> Director
> Polonious Pty Ltd
> (w) http://www.polonious.com.au
> (m) 0403 470 123
> Polonious Support Numbers:
> Sydney: +61-2-9007-9842
> Chicago: +1-312-239-0639
> Fax:       +61-2-9475-0843
>
> This above all: to thine ownself be true,
> And it must follow, as the night the day,
> Thou canst not then be false to any man.
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Jeremy Visser <jeremy at visser.name>
> To: Bret Busby <bret at busby.net>
> Date: Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:33:53 +1000
> Subject: Re: [Linux-aus] Drupal story on Computerworld
> On Tue, 2009-08-25 at 17:42 +0800, Bret Busby wrote:
> > With this discussion of Drupal, as Ekiga is apparently in the process
> > of switching to Drupal, does anyone have any idea as to how the switch
> > may affect Ekiga?
>
> Bret, you also wrote the following on the ekiga-list mailing list on the
> 23rd of August. There were actually three replies to your post, but you
> must have missed them.
>
> On Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:16:58 +0800, Bret Busby wrote:
> > What is drupal?
> >
> > Is it software that will replace ekiga?
> >
> > Does it mean that ekiga is to come to an end?
>
> Drupal is simply a content management system (CMS), that is, a web
> application (or basically a bunch of PHP scripts) that they can install
> on their site to allow them to better manage their website.
>
> Ref: http://tinyurl.com/cnpepe (You'll see that Drupal is search result
> #4.)
>
> Drupal is what will run the Ekiga.net website. It is completely
> unrelated to the Ekiga software itself.
>
> What you said is akin to saying "Dairy Farmers is upgrading their
> website. I wonder if the milk will taste any different!"
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Bret Busby <bret at busby.net>
> To: Linux Australia List <linux-aus at lists.linux.org.au>
> Date: Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:45:14 +0800 (WST)
> Subject: Re: [Linux-aus] Drupal story on Computerworld
> On Wed, 26 Aug 2009, Jeremy Visser wrote:
>
>  Date: Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:33:53 +1000
>> From: Jeremy Visser <jeremy at visser.name>
>> To: Bret Busby <bret at busby.net>
>> Cc: Linux Australia List <linux-aus at lists.linux.org.au>
>> Subject: Re: [Linux-aus] Drupal story on Computerworld
>>
>> On Tue, 2009-08-25 at 17:42 +0800, Bret Busby wrote:
>>
>>> With this discussion of Drupal, as Ekiga is apparently in the process
>>> of switching to Drupal, does anyone have any idea as to how the switch
>>> may affect Ekiga?
>>>
>>
>> Bret, you also wrote the following on the ekiga-list mailing list on the
>> 23rd of August. There were actually three replies to your post, but you
>> must have missed them.
>>
>> On Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:16:58 +0800, Bret Busby wrote:
>>
>>> What is drupal?
>>>
>>> Is it software that will replace ekiga?
>>>
>>> Does it mean that ekiga is to come to an end?
>>>
>>
>> Drupal is simply a content management system (CMS), that is, a web
>> application (or basically a bunch of PHP scripts) that they can install
>> on their site to allow them to better manage their website.
>>
>> Ref: http://tinyurl.com/cnpepe (You'll see that Drupal is search result
>> #4.)
>>
>> Drupal is what will run the Ekiga.net website. It is completely
>> unrelated to the Ekiga software itself.
>>
>> What you said is akin to saying "Dairy Farmers is upgrading their
>> website. I wonder if the milk will taste any different!"
>>
>>
> I understood, from the response on the Ekiga mailing list, that Drupal was
> to be replacing the GUI of Ekiga; that it would be the new interface for the
> software, rather than the interface on the website the provides the
> information about the software.
>
> The question that I asked, is significantly different to how you construed
> it.
>
> It is easy to ridicule people for the sake of ridiculing them, rather than
> seeking to understand the problem, and trying thence to come up with a
> helpful and constructive solution.
>
> "Damnant quod non intelligunt" - "They condemn what they do not
> understand".
>
> --
> Bret Busby
> Armadale
> West Australia
> ..............
>
> "So once you do know what the question actually is,
>  you'll know what the answer means."
> - Deep Thought,
>  Chapter 28 of Book 1 of
>  "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
>  A Trilogy In Four Parts",
>  written by Douglas Adams,
>  published by Pan Books, 1992
>
> ....................................................
>
>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Daniel Mons <daniel.mons at iinet.net.au>
> To: Stuart Guthrie <stuart at polonious.com.au>
> Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:36:50 +1000
> Subject: Re: [Linux-aus] [Osia-discuss] Tax office - Open Source policy
> Is there anything wrong with plain text?  The NSA still seem to think
> it's good enough for them.  Or is it necessary for people to be able to
> choose unreadable fonts and underline things in order to do their job?
>
> -Dan
>
> PS: This email was sent in plain text.  "Client software" available for
> just about anything that takes voltage.
>
> PPS: I've not had much sleep.  Excuse the sarcasm.
>
>
>
> Stuart Guthrie wrote:
> > Obviously it would be better for the ATO to use an open and published
> > standard such as ODF (Open Document Format). There are many products
> > that support this standard and it can be read and written on all major
> > operating systems including Linux, OSX, OpenSolaris and Windows.
> >
> > ----- "Ron Skeoch" <skeoro at muli.com.au> wrote:
> >> There has been a movement to revert to allowing Microsoft word
> >> as an allowable communication medium.
>
>
>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Dahna McConnachie <dahna.mcconnachie at gmail.com>
> To: Jeremy Visser <jeremy at visser.name>
> Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:12:54 +1000
> Subject: Re: [Linux-aus] Drupal story on Computerworld
> Thanks for your comment Jeremy. I will pass it on and see if Computerworld
> want to change it. I think that it used to be their house style to avoid
> branding influenced typography, but perhaps that policy has changed.
>
> 2009/8/26 Jeremy Visser <jeremy at visser.name>
>
>> Just one comment: you spelled WordPress as "Wordpress", not "WordPress".
>>
>> Not sure if you have the opportunity to correct the article after it is
>> published, but the WordPress folks would really appreciate you doing so,
>> as they are quite pedantic about the spelling. :)
>>
>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Jonathan Oxer <jon at ivt.com.au>
> To: linux-aus <linux-aus at lists.linux.org.au>
> Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:32:20 +1000
> Subject: Re: [Linux-aus] Drupal story on Computerworld
> On Thu, 2009-08-27 at 09:12 +1000, Dahna McConnachie wrote:
> > Thanks for your comment Jeremy. I will pass it on and see if
> > Computerworld want to change it. I think that it used to be their
> > house style to avoid branding influenced typography, but perhaps that
> > policy has changed.
>
> So I assume then that whenever Computerworld report on the iPhone they
> have to spell it as Iphone?
>
> Cheers    :-)
> --
> Jonathan Oxer
> Ph +61 4 3851 6600
> Geek My Ride! <http://www.geekmyride.org/>
>
>
>
>
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