Open Source Programing is Coming!
Open Office is a program that is gaining ground around the world, it seems to also be because Open Source programing is becoming more trusted and accepted. Randall C. Kennedy from InfoWorld says “OpenOffice.org’s open source productivity suite’s adoption in Asia and Europe is 50 percent higher than in the United States.” Which gives an idea of why the program might not seem so obvious, along with the fact that the program can be used in over 100 languages. Paul Festa from CNET comments on the pressure being put on governments to provide Open Source software options, “A recent global wave of legislation is compelling government agencies, and in some cases government-owned companies, to use open-source or free software unless proprietary software is the only feasible option.”The OpenOffice.org site states:
Great Software
OpenOffice.org 3 is the result of over twenty years’ software engineering. Designed from the start as a single piece of software, it has a consistency other products cannot match. A completely open development process means that anyone can report bugs, request new features, or enhance the software. The result: OpenOffice.org 3 does everything you want your office software to do, the way you want it to.
…And It’s Free
Best of all, OpenOffice.org 3 can be downloaded and used entirely free of any licence fees. OpenOffice.org 3 is released under the LGPL licence. This means you may use it for any purpose – domestic, commercial, educational, public administration. You may install it on as many computers as you like. You may make copies and give them away to family, friends, students, employees – anyone you like.
I have been using Open Office for a couple months now, especially to get around entering (or purchasing) a user key to be able to use Microsoft Word that came with my laptop. It works great, and is very compatible with other programs. I think this is a sign of a movement in open source living; imagine we were able to buy or trade interchangable pieces similar to K’Nex that would allow us to create our own open source vehicles, tools and living spaces, according to whats needed at the thime for each individual.
