Re: [Bug-gnupedia]Submissions in Word Format

[Soam Vasani]

   Christopher Mahan wrote:
   > Also, if it is an issue of Microsoft is a
   > for-profit-company-and-patents-its-software-to-make-money versus
   > everything-should-be-free-and-flowers-for-everyone [...]

It is not.  When we talk of free software we refer to liberty, not
money.  I don't give a damn about Microsoft's profits.

BTW nobody says "everything should be free"; many say "all software
should be free", and even then they are definitely not referring to
its price.

   > [...] and WE WON'T under any circumstance use MS products, then
   > this is short-sighted and narrow-minded stance.

If tomorrow Microsoft were to make their software free (as in free
speech, of course), then we'd have no problems using their software.

   > I'm a developer. My clients want solutions. I use the best tool,
   > the most effective tool. If it is java, so be it. if is is MySQL,
   > or PostgreSQL, so be it, if it is MS2000 and Exchange, so be
   > it. 

You may not value your freedom, and your clients may be unaware of the
rights they deserve, but I do value *my* freedom; it does not harm me
if you use propreitary software as long as you don't force me to use
it.

Yes, I know there are MS-Word .doc to plaintext or html converters,
but these converters are not perfect.  There are many files that
cannot be converted.  .doc can include many types of data, of which
only a few (plaintext, images) are understood by the converters.

I don't think there will ever be a perfect .doc to <free_format>
converter, due to both technical and legal problems.

-- 
Soam Vasani