Re: [Fsfe-uk] Accountants need MS file formats - was Re: Mac OS X refund

[Jon Grant]

On 21/01/2008, Andrew Savory <address@hidden> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> On 1/21/08, Rich Walker <address@hidden> wrote:
> > > Accounting is the only one for which there are no "good enough"
> equivalents.
> >
> > Sql-Ledger and LedgerSMB solve most of the problems.
>
> Unfortunately we also need to fit in with the requirements of our
> accountants and bookkeepers. Again,  it's a critical mass issue. The first
> fully FLOSS accountant could make millions.

A very good point. I started out sending OpenOffice files and kept
getting them bounced back to me as "unreadable", and you cant send PDF
spreadsheets because they cant then update them.  So I was reluctantly
forced to start sending XLS files.

Then OpenOffice has poor configuration of default fonts, (keeps
switching back to a terrible blocky one), not sure why it doesn't ship
properly configured. And then when I need to email an XLS or DOC to
someone it arrives and the Bitstream Vera Sans comes out as some
horrid "Comic Sans MS" font, so I get lots of queries about that.

Eventually because of these failings of OpenOffice I'm reluctantly
forced to install the MS fonts too so I can send files which will end
up in Ariel (as well as sending things occasionally in their file
formats!). I can only persevere for so long on this, and at least I'm
still using OpenOffice from GNU+Linux.

As soon as OpenOffice "works" I'll remove the MS fonts and try get the
accountants to use OpenOffice (a few clients use OpenOffice at least).

Cheers, Jon