News 2003-08: August

2003-09-04

The following articles represent a selection of those pertaining to OpenOffice.org, Open Source, or the general IT industry that may be of interest to the community. If you would like to share an article with the community, please send the link to Louis Suárez-Potts, Editor, at marketing@openoffice.apache.org.

Back to News Index

2003-08: August
NewsForge	Why offshore IT outsourcing can't be stopped 2003-08-29
	Robin Miller of NewsForge writes on the outsourcing trend. An interesting if personal take on the issue.
Economist.com	Of monkeys and penguins 2003-08-28
	An interesting and clear description of the SCO/Linux debate. Worth reading.
CNETAsia	Open source has "strategic role": M'sia 2003-08-28
	Ricardo Cesar reports on the initiatives in Brazil to move to using OSS.
LinuxWorld Australia	Brazilian parliament to adopt free software 2003-08-28
	"The Malaysian government has reaffirmed its support for the use and development of open-source software, saying that it has a 'strategic role'."
Business Standard	Should the government adopt open-source technology? 2003-08-27
	Javed Tapia, Director (India) for Red Hat, weighs in on the debate, "Should the government adopt open-source technology?" Worth reading.
KDE.News	Kastle 2003: KOffice Developers' Meeting Report 2003-08-26
	In which KOffice decides to switch to the OASIS file format used by OpenOffice.org.
c\|net	Patent battle to culminate in Brussels 2003-08-26
	Matthew Broersma reports on the planned Web demonstration scheduled "to coincide with a real-life protest in Brussels, Belgium, on Wednesday." Among those participating are many of OpenOffice.org's Native-Lang Projects.
The Register	Mac OpenOffice 'delay' debunked 2003-08-26
	Andrew Orlowski interviews Dan Williams, one of the primary developers of the Mac OS X (X11) port of OpenOffice.org to get the real story on what the putative "delay." Worth reading. (If you can help with the Mac port, contact us.)
The Register	IT jobs under threat from WTO deal 2003-08-22
	Tim Richardson reports that, "The Professional Contractors Group (PCG) has urged IT contractors "not to panic" amid concerns that World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations to be held next month could result in the opening-up of the UK's employment market to cheaper overseas workers." Worth reading.
NewsFactor	And Now, Mad Hatter Linux 2003-08-21
	James Maguire analyzes Sun's new endeavor, Mad Hatter. Curious about what it is? "In September, Sun will launch Mad Hatter, its Linux desktop suite designed to use low price and easy configurability to penetrate the desktop market." Worth reading.
The Washington Post	The Quiet War Over Open-Source 2003-08-21
	Jonathan Kim writes an interesting article for those new to Open Source on the battles engaging the movement. Worth reading
The Register	Long wait for Mac OS X OpenOffice 2003-08-20
	Andrew Orlowski reports on the stated delay in producing an Aqua-native version of OpenOffice.org. Worth reading.
AlwaysOn	Jonathan Schwartz is Howling 2003-08-20
	A vigorous article by EVP of Software at Sun Jonathan Schwartz on the practical liabilities of using Microsoft software, the point being that just as in ecology, a monoculture suffers when presented with a parasite, in this case, the various worms and virii besetting MS software.
c\|net	Rockin' on without Microsoft 2003-08-20
	In an interesting article, David Becker examines how Ernie Ball, Sterling Ball's music company, has thrived since junking proprietary software and using Open Source versions, including OpenOffice.org. Worth reading.
LinuxToday	Oregon Open Source Bill Pushes Forward 2003-08-20
	Brian Proffitt, Managing Editor, writes on the state of Oregon Open Source bill. "According to Cooper Stevenson, coordinator of the Mid-Willamette Valley LUG and staunch supporter of the bill, the legislation will be heard in a public Senate committee hearing on Thursday, August 21." Stay tuned.
NewsForge	Open Asia: Variety of distros energize the continent 2003-08-18
	In the latest of his series on Open Source in Asia, Frederick Noronha discusses the variety of distributors in the region.
FSF	SCO Scuttles Sense, Claiming GPL Invalidity 2003-08-18
	Eben Moglen, one of the leading legal minds on Open Source, weighs in with his views on the SCO issue. Worth reading.
ZDNet Australia	China blocks foreign software use in gov't. 2003-08-18
	The staff of ZDNET AU report that, "A new policy by China's governing body the State Council will rule that all ministries have to buy only locally-produced software at the next upgrade cycle."
Brazzil	Brazil: Microsoft, Go Home 2003-08
	"Brazil believes that free software is an excellent tool for the democratization of knowledge, foreign currency savings, and the optimization of institutional investments and costs. The model also offers perspectives for Brazilian industries to research, create, and develop new free software programs." For information on OpenOffice.org in Brazil, see our BR project.
Open For Business	GNU Questions: RMS on SCO, Distributions, DRM 2003-08-13
	Timothy Butler interviews Free Software genius Richard Stallman (RMS). Worth reading.
Reuters	Low-Cost Linux Gaining on Microsoft in India 2003-08-11
	Anshuman Daga reports on the politics of Linux's ascendancy in India. For information on OpenOffice.org in Indian languages, see our Hindi Project.
LinuxWorld	SYS-CON Radio interviews Louis Suarez-Potts 2003-08-07
	OpenOffice.org Community Manager Louis Suarez-Potts is interviewed on OpenOffice.org by LinuxWorld's Kevin Bedell.
InternetNews	Sun Shines on Complete Linux Desktop 2003-08-06
	Susan Kuchinskas reports on Sun EVP Jonathan Schwartz's keynote address at the recent San Francisco Linux World Expo. Worth reading.
InternetNews	Q&A: Jonathan Schwartz, Sun Microsystems 2003-08-01
	Erin Joyce interviews Sun's VP of software Jonathan Schwartz on Mad Hatter and on Sun's software policies. Worth reading.
c\|net	Sun pragmatic about open-source software 2003-08-11
	Stephen Shankland reports on Sun's open-source strategy and pragmatism. Worth reading. (Also many mentions of OpenOffice.org.)
The Register	GPL goes to court 2003-08-11
	Andrew Orlowski, whose Brit wit and sharp intelligence make many of The Reg's articles so worth reading writes on SCO, the GPL, and much else. Worth reading.
NewsForge	Open Source is good for the Philippine economy 2003-08-11
	Victor Serafica explains why open-source software and technology is good for the Philippine economy. A clear and useful argument that examines the advantages of moving away from the present system to FLOSS.
NewsForge	LinuxWorld wrapup: Bigger, better, and more boring than eve 2003-08-08
	Robin "Roblimo" Miller writes on this year's big industry bash for Linux, Linux World SF.
eWeek	'Maddog' Bullish on Open Source 2003-08-07
	An interesting interview with John "Maddog" Hall, noted open-source advocate.
c\|net	Advocates form open-source trade group 2003-08-06
	Lisa M. Bowman reports that, "A new trade group is on the horizon for open-source advocates hoping to dispel myths about the software and drive its adoption."
c\|net	SuSE Linux gets security credentials 2003-08-05
	Stephen Shankland reports that "Software seller SuSE Linux and server maker IBM have obtained a crucial security certification that will make the Linux operating system an option for demanding military and government customers, the companies announced Tuesday."
OSDL Newsroom	Sun Joins OSDL; Strengthens Commitment to the Open-Source Community and Driving Open Standards 2003-08-05
	In a press release, the "Open Source Development Lab (OSDL), a global consortium of leading technology companies dedicated to accelerating the adoption of Linux, today announced that Sun Microsystems has joined OSDL to help drive the development of open-standard software including Linux and to lend its expertise in the data center and carrier-grade markets. Through its membership with OSDL, Sun will participate in both the Carrier Grade Linux and Data Center Linux working groups to help advance the use of the Linux operating system and its functionality in the enterprise and telecommunications environments."
Computerworld	Study: Linux nears Windows XP usability 2003-08-04
	John Blau writes that "Researchers studied how easily users could perform tasks using the two operating systems." Evidently, Linux is now easy to use.
The Register	Sun and SuSE admit they like each other 2003-08-01
	A characteristically trenchant account of Sun's friendly relationship with SuSe.