Re: [LUG] Kids failing on coursework because of proprietary file formats

[David <info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I find this quite weird. My Son started Lipson Community College and they encourage the use of open source software. They even recognize parents can't afford M$ software This is from the parent portal on helping at home:

Office Suite

 

The College uses the Microsoft Office suite of programs for word processing, spreadsheets etc.  However, whilst providing plenty of features, the software is very expensive and not everyone has a copy at home. 

 

As an alternative, there is a free office suite which is available to download called OpenOffice, that provides 90% of the features of Microsoft Office.  For those with a fast internet connection (broadband), the software can be downloaded by visiting http://www.openoffice.org/ and clicking 'I want to download OpenOffice.org'.  If you have a slower connection, the IT technical staff can provide a copy for the cost of one blank CD. 

Both my kids only use Linux at home and have never complained about needing Windows.

On 6/17/2010 1:48 PM, Dan Dart wrote:

I don't have anything particularly complex
    

Well, there you go.
OOXML is a bad, poorly documented formatting language.

And MS has a half-assed approach to implementing ODF too.

Geez, for school, I had to use a friend's laptop to convert ODT to DOC
because ODT is all I had and the school had MSO 2003.

I think most schools use less than version 2010.

Now, we must tell all LEAs and Ofsted, because MS contracts are too
big a problem, and schools need to be using open standards, after all,
the government has said they would!

  

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