From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Received: from dsl092-170-086.wdc1.dsl.speakeasy.net ([66.92.170.86] helo=toccata.dsl092-170-083.wdc1.dsl.speakeasy.net) by speech.braille.uwo.ca with esmtp (Exim 3.32 #1 (Debian)) id 16PnKk-00018R-00 for ; Sun, 13 Jan 2002 11:18:10 -0500 Received: from localhost (janina@localhost) by toccata.dsl092-170-083.wdc1.dsl.speakeasy.net (8.11.6/8.11.6) with ESMTP id g0DGHVu24880 for ; Sun, 13 Jan 2002 11:17:31 -0500 X-Authentication-Warning: toccata.grg.afb.net: janina owned process doing -bs Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2002 11:17:31 -0500 (EST) From: Janina Sajka X-X-Sender: janina@toccata.dsl092-170-083.wdc1.dsl.speakeasy.net To: speakup@braille.uwo.ca Subject: Re: ms-word, was: Re: anti-word In-Reply-To: Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Sender: speakup-admin@braille.uwo.ca Errors-To: speakup-admin@braille.uwo.ca X-BeenThere: speakup@braille.uwo.ca X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.7 Precedence: bulk Reply-To: speakup@braille.uwo.ca List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Id: Speakup is a screen review system for Linux. List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: On Sat, 12 Jan 2002, Steve Holmes wrote: > If it is a circle, it is a vicious one. It's one thing to update the > original document and work it as a text doc in your favorite unix editor > but doing this destroys all formatting and styles originnaly placed with > the word processor, hence we need a word compatible word processor for > linuw. Sorry, you are wrong. First of all, it is unusual to get a word processed document properly formatted. Most often their creators create some semblance of formatting by assuming that pushing text around the screen, a little left, a little right, a little up and a little down by whatever means constitutes appropriate formatting. It doesnt, but the explanations are lengthy. So, I'll drop that and assume, for the purpose of my reply, that they've formatted correctly. So, if the document is correctly formatted, it will correctly translate into another formatting schema, provided the document formatting usage is published. One simply maps one to the other, and formatting is preserved, to be edited by the next person, and so on. Recall that html is but one way to keep organizational formatting intact. Unfortunately, Microsoft doesn't release it's specs for Word, so the best we can do is reverse engineer. Therefore, if it doesn't translate well, the sender gets what they deserve, the fruits of their arrogance. Please note that Word arrogance extends well beyond their proprietary .doc file format. The html generated by Word is attrocious, for example. And Microsoft's attempts to redefine high ASCII values, and muck with consensus character sets is, to my mind, the height of arrogance. I do not regard it my duty to protect such people from the consequences of their own folly. > > On Fri, 11 Jan 2002, Janina Sajka wrote: > > > On Thu, 10 Jan 2002, Gregory Nowak wrote: > > > > > Ok, but people also write in word in addition to reading in it when they're in windows. > > > > Greg: We're going in circles here. You need something like wv in order to > > read those Word files that people send out. You don't need to send them > > Word files in order for them to read what you write in plain text or in > > html, because they can perfectly well read your text or html using their > > Word application on Windows. > > > > Do you see the circle? > > > Greg > > > > > On Thu, Jan 10, 2002 at 04:27:55PM -0500, Janina Sajka wrote: > > > > Because everyone sitting in Word can perfectly easily retrieve a .txt or > > > > .html without knowing they did it. > > > > > > > > On Thu, 10 Jan 2002, Gregory Nowak wrote: > > > > > > > > > Why do you say it isn't necessary to write word documents when that format is being used widely in the work place and academic settings today? > > > > > Greg > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Thu, Jan 10, 2002 at 09:47:31AM -0500, Janina Sajka wrote: > > > > > > On Wed, 9 Jan 2002, Dave Hunt wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > ... It's called "antiword", ... It > > > > > > > cannot write MS Word files. > > > > > > > > > > > > It isn't necessary to write MS-Word, it's only necessary to read it > > > > > > correctly. Users of Word can read text or HTML perfectly well. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -Dave > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > > > Speakup mailing list > > > > > > > Speakup@braille.uwo.ca > > > > > > > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > > > > > > Janina Sajka, Director > > > > > > Technology Research and Development > > > > > > Governmental Relations Group > > > > > > American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) > > > > > > > > > > > > Email: janina@afb.net Phone: (202) 408-8175 > > > > > > > > > > > > Chair, Accessibility SIG > > > > > > Open Electronic Book Forum (OEBF) > > > > > > http://www.openebook.org > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > > Speakup mailing list > > > > > > Speakup@braille.uwo.ca > > > > > > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > Speakup mailing list > > > > > Speakup@braille.uwo.ca > > > > > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > > Janina Sajka, Director > > > > Technology Research and Development > > > > Governmental Relations Group > > > > American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) > > > > > > > > Email: janina@afb.net Phone: (202) 408-8175 > > > > > > > > Chair, Accessibility SIG > > > > Open Electronic Book Forum (OEBF) > > > > http://www.openebook.org > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > Speakup mailing list > > > > Speakup@braille.uwo.ca > > > > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Speakup mailing list > > > Speakup@braille.uwo.ca > > > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Speakup mailing list > Speakup@braille.uwo.ca > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup > -- Janina Sajka, Director Technology Research and Development Governmental Relations Group American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) Email: janina@afb.net Phone: (202) 408-8175 Chair, Accessibility SIG Open Electronic Book Forum (OEBF) http://www.openebook.org