How do you convince people to use open document format?
One of the biggest challenge I face while convincing people to switch to GNU/Linux is the compatibility issue of open document format with that of Microsoft format. We know that Libre Office is a complete office suit that we can use for any type of office work. Most of office work will be preparing documents, spreadsheets and presentations. Now, we can save these files in Microsoft office format say .docx, .xlsx etc. and we can also access and edit those documents created using Microsoft office word and excel. But the problem is sometimes we face formatting issue e.g what you're seeing in Libre office may not be same for Microsoft office especially when tables, images and charts are used. One major problem is with ppt which hardly matches to that of power point.
If I convince my colleagues to switch to GNU/Linux, they'll ask series of questions and I can answer most of them but major problem is with office suit. I have to say that you will need to use Microsoft power point for making ppts and sometimes you may need to use Microsoft Word when you find mis-matching.
I think the actual problem is using microsoft format and why we use that format (docx, xlsx, pptx)? Because others are using them. If we save documents in open document format then others will not be able to open/access them because they're using MS-Office. So, this problem is only going to be solved if all use open document format. (sometimes what happens: we may need to submit documents to our head who is using Ms-Office or sometimes we may need to mail them to another institutions whose people are using Ms-Office)
So, How do you convince people to use open document format?
I think if I can have solution to above mentioned problem, then there are high chances that I can convince my colleagues to switch to GNU/Linux.
Thanks .
It's not always as easy as falling off a log.
Yes, That sounds exactly what I am talking about.
Thanks for linking.
Another problem is to convince your colleagues that Microsoft's OOXML is not an open format. Everytime I ask my colleagues to use ODF, they argue that OOXML is also an "open format" standardized by ISO. It is true that OOXML is approved by ISO as an "open format". What they don't understand is that OOXML is heavily patent-encumbered, and Microsoft won't give free software community license to implement OOXML support. So everytime I spend quite some time to politely explain why Microsoft OOXML is a non-free format. You can find such evidence of FSF's website.
Besides the above-mentioned RMS's mail reply discouraging people to send non-free format attachments, you can go to FSF's "Open Document" campaign. There is also a "Document Freedom Day" on the last Wednesday of March every year. You can share your story on the incoming DFD.
For more information, OOXML was discussed not long ago on this forum: https://trisquel.info/forum/whats-wrong-docx
Thank you very much for the discussion.
Microsoft added ODF support in Office 2007. But I don't see this anything good. It's more of "3E" (embrace, extend, and extinguish) and less of truly supporting open format. According to my experience, starting Office 2010, ODF files generated by Microsoft Office can never be properly rendered in LiberOffice and vice versa. Therefore, I created a virtual machine and installed genuine Windows Vista and Office 2007 (I did purchase legal licenses for them long ago) in it. I called that virtual machine "document saver", and used it to convert countless non-free documents to ODF. Also according to my experience, Office 2007 is the first and the last version that can relatively reliably handle ODF files.
You certainly had better use LibreOffice to realize such conversions. Not only the result will probably be better but you would not be executing proprietary software in that way.
Of course, I have LibreOffice installed in my VM. But in order to "redeem" certain non-free format documents, I need to "use" my genuine Microsoft Office licenses.
In some "extreme" cases, I had to "use" multiple versions of Microsoft Office to accomplish my task. One example was that I received a bunch of Microsoft DOCX files generated by a novice archivist. He didn't know how to insert Greek letters wisely. In contrary, he inserted formula objects whenever he needed a Greek letter. To make things even worse, he was using Microsoft Office for Mac on a MacBook...
Then, what should I do? First, I need to "use" latest Microsoft Office for Losedows to open said files, in order to convert any formula objects in "Mac version" to Losedows version. Second, I need to save the same files as OOXML format that is readable by earlier versions of Microsoft Office such as 2007 version. Third, I "used" my genuine Office 2007 to save the files as ODF. And last, the files could finally be readable by LibreOffice with no major rendering errors.