LGM 2010, Day 1

So the previous episode ended with LGM just starting... here's what happened later for the point of view of our small gang: Pierros made himself useful by drawing info notes:

I joked he's doing t to impress the girls, but he was setted on work, repairing wireless router and such, until he became almost a member of the staff, complete with the uniform.

It should be mentioned the official lunch, good to bring together the people and make them talk easier.

Finally, late in the afternoon it came our time to bring Fedora in the spotlight - too see how insightful we where, check the slides - the talk was delivered by Martin while Pierros was doing photos and me and I hope e weren't entirely bad (hopefully, you will se it next week, after I get to edit the video).
And of course I was crazy enough to edit the slides 10 minutes before the presentation to ad a silly picture. We are all crazy.

After the conference day ended, it was natural for us to grab some fries:

And then end the night as it is supposed to be, with hard beers at Delirium.

Let'see what new adventures will be brought ahead us...

PS: don't blame me for the incoherence, grammar or bad stile... try you first to write a professional after that much beer and at this hour in the night :

Breath, think, wait, DFD

This morning when going to work I meet this neighbour (we meet once in a few months, today he was on foot, probably his wife seized the car) who works as a programmer in the police. He politely asked, for conversation sake, about my doings, which was all I needed and got fired and telling about a cool action for Document Freedom Day that will happen tomorrow.

Much to my surprise (the police, as the rest of the public administration in Romania is totally owned by Microsoft from a software use point of view), he easily understood the problem but, this time not much to my surprise, for him open document specs is RTF and OOXML is "that XML thing in the new Microsoft Office" (that's speaking of MS Office 2007 in 2010).

Speaking of documents formats, we go to PDFs (about he was not aware the specs are public) and his current intention to write a library for creating PDF files. Used with the FLOSS way of thinking my reaction was: why write a library when there are tons of them available under a Free license? and gave a few examples (OK, I don't know and don't want to know about libraries for .NET, that he is using - remember, total Microserfs). The reaction was a classic one from the Windows world: the free apps have limited functionality, you have to pay for more features. Duh!

OK, I am in the right mood for celebrating the DFD!

Romanian translation: OpenOffice.org Getting Started / Ghid de initiere

Most of the translation work and the compilation was made by ghrt, a preliminary version of the Romanian translation for the OpenOffice.org Getting Started / Ghid de initiere is available for download (a 6.9 MB PDF) in the project's documentation page.
It is still in an alpha stage (without the "Base" and "Quick Keys" chapters and with some inconsistences), but it is our first release in a "book" format.

Narro: a web based translation tool

Narro is a web-based translation tool (with a Romanian interface) made by alexxed and used to translate some applications (OpenOffice.org, Firefox and Thunderbird) to Romanian, it is a wonderful tool and it grow on me each day.

To demonstrate how much it grew on me lately: I do not use any desktop application translated into my native language (and don't plan to start using), I prefer any time the default, English version. However, there are times when I so unmotivated, bored and sucked of energy, that I am not in the mood do do anything. But in those times, I find myself going to Narro and translating some strings...

And here is a psychological observation from using the tool: OpenOffice.org is translated about 18%, Firefox 3 90% and Thunderbird 2 93%.
If very un-fulfilling to translate OOo strings: it is such a behemoth (70,336 strings) that even if you translate a lot of strings the result is unnoticeable and its status at 18% makes the end look so far and unattainable.
By the contrary, with FF and TB you can easily see the light at the end of the tunnel, half an hour of contributing makes a difference so the process is much more motivating.

So guess where I am translating most of the time...

Spins, multimedia, Knoppix

We had recently a very long thread on the marketing list and, inevitably, at some point someone claimed the most important feature of Fedora and the reasoun use it is livna with its multimedia codecs (this is somewhat like Goodwin's law, if a thread is long enough, it have to get to the multimedia problem).
Personally, I am content with livna and consider it easy enough but here is some anecdotal evidence showing how some people leave Fedora due to its lack of multimedia abilities right out of the box and backing the argument about livna to some degree:

I recently meet an old buddy of me, cdriga, from OpenOffice.org, with whom I have not talked in a long while. He was a long time RHL and Fedora user, I even used to supply him with install CDs back when he had a flaky internet connection (around RHL 9, IIRC).
From topic to topic he told me "I am a Debian user now, by the way of Knoppix". My reaction: "WTF, is Knoppix still alive? Wasn't it killed already by Ubuntu/Kubuntu?" and his reply: "is very cool, you can install the live CD on your hard drive and you have alll the multimedia codecs right from the start, I installed it even for some relatives and they like it".

At this point I told him a few things about Fedora's latest developments with live media and spins, but this can't beat multimedia working out of the box! Maybe a couple of years ago, when, before a career change, he used to do a lot more programming, I could have lured him with the developer spin featuring the latest Eclipse on top of Iced Tea (and close the circle, as he talked me into using Eclipse).

However, do not listen to my anecdotal experience, better read cdriga's own words about his Linux history (I read it and my first reaction was like "Yuck! XMMS... I remember anow all the reasons I erased Knoppix from my mind.")

OpenOffice.org in limba romana (translations)

I usually don't do this, but here is an bilingual post:

Localizarea in limba romana a OpenOffice.org a pornit acum vreo doi ani cu mare entuziasm si chiar un maraton in cursul caruia intr-o singura zi s-au tradus circa 15% din stringuri. Din pacate interesul a scazut foarte repede, contributiile pe masura, activitatea s-a impotmolit.

Sarind peste acest istoric mohorit, iata o geana de lumina: un nou coordonator al echipei de localizare, Alexandru Szasz (cunoscut si pentru localizarea Fedora in limba romana), o noua interfata, entuziasm innoit, energii in crestere, se pare ca lucrurile se urnesc din nou (planurile lui Alexandru sint ambitioase, isi propune traducerea interfetei grafice pina in februarie).

Cei care doresc sa contribuie sint asteptati la www.alexxed.com/traduceri/main.php, unde intr-o interfata web se poate lucra in stil wiki, fara login sau alte bariere: intrati in "Open Office 2.x", alegeti termeni netradusi si completati cu propria versiune. Mai multe amanunte in anuntul initial sau direct pe lista de mail a proiectului (dev AT ro.openoffice.org).

---

The Romanian localization of OpenOffice.org started with greath enthusiasm a couple of years ago, even with a translation marathon when in a single day about 15% of the strings got translated. Unfortunately, the interest slowed down shortly along with contributions, the activity stalled.

Fast forwarding over thsi gloomy history, here is a hope of light: a new localization team coordinator, Alexandru Szasz (known also for the Romanian Fedora localization), a new interfata, renewed enthusiasm, growing energies, it look like the things start again (Alexandru's plans are ambitious, he propose the GUI translation until February).

Those wanting to contribute are welcomed at www.alexxed.com/traduceri/main.php, where in a web interface they can work wiki-style, with no login or other barriers: enter in "Open Office 2.x", find some untranslated words and add your own version. More details are avaialble on the initial announcement or directly on the project mailing list (dev AT ro.openoffice.org).

Microsoft Office Open XML and ISO fast-track adoption

So ISO will vote on September 2 for or against the Microsoft Office Open XML file format as a standard. What I expect the result of this vote to be? I think the quote bellow (followed by my own English translation) from the unofficial position of the president of the Romanian committee is telling:

Motivele mele pt. a favoriza OOXML sunt de natura practica si "ideologica", nu tehnica:

1. Sigur ca OOXML e un standard atipic. Cum zic si IBM-ii (in critica lor), nu e "aspirational". Dar are un scop "nobil", pe care-l salut: "decripteaza" binarul (mai multor generatii de) documente Office. Fiind eu in bransa patrimoniului, o sa ma intelegeti ca sunt sensibil la prezervarea documentelor "legacy" (si migrarea este - pina la noi ordine - metoda cea mai convenabila de prezervare). Dar "transparentizarea" formatului intern al tonelor de fisiere Office nu e utila doar "comunitatii arhivistilor". Ma gindesc si la programatorii multor aplicatii care vor sa consume documente Office: standardul asta le usureaza viata.

2. Obiectiile de detaliu ale IBM imi par (pe cit le pricep) notabile, dar imi vine greu sa cred ca un comitet tehnic ECMA (cu Apple, Novell etc., adica cu tehnicieni adevarati) sa le fi trecut usor cu vederea, daca sunt asa de serioase. In plus, mi se pare ca - cel putin o parte - sunt lamurite de raspunsurile ECMA. Si mai multe sunt lamurite de raspunsurile MS. In plus, vad ca MS e gata sa ajusteze in unele locuri unde obiectiile IBM au nimerit. Nimic neobisnuit in procesul de evolutie a unui standard.

And now my English translation:

My reasons to favor OOXML are practical and "ideological", not technical:

1. Of course OOXML is an atypical standard. As IBM says (in its critique), it is not an "aspirational" standard. But it has a "noble" goal and I salute it: it "decrypt" the binary of (several generations of) Office documents. As I work in the patrimony branch, you should understand my sensibility for legacy documents preserving (and migration is - until new orders - the most convenient preservation). But the "transparentization" of the internal format of tons of existing Office documents is useful not only for the "archiver community". I think also at the programmers of various applications wanting to consume Office documents: this standard will make their lives easier.

2. The detail objections from IBM seems (as fair as I can understand) notable, but I find hard to believe an ECMA technical committee ECMA (with Apple, Novell etc., so real technicians) could overlook them if they are so serious. Additionally, I believe - at least in part - those are clarified by the ECMA replies. And more are clarified by the replies from MS. Additionally, I see MS is ready to adjust in some places where IBM's objections have hit. Nothing unusual in the evolutionary process of a standard.

So what I can say more? With such blinded apologists who need paid supporters?

Spread ODF - web buttons

Red Hat Magazine has an article about ODF: the inevitable format and a follow-up to it with shareable artwork to spread the word. Those who know me should expect I can't resist such temptation and had to come with some derivative graphics, a few buttons in various (standard) sizes:

•  88x31:
• 110x32:
• 120x60:
• 125x50:
• 180x60:

One question arise: to which page those web buttons are better suited to link? So far, they link to their SVG sources, which you are invited to freely play with.

Update: I got a request, so here are some smaller sizes:

•  36x13:
•  80x15:

Communication channels

Channels

For this rant to be understood in its entire value, I should notice I do not work in a FOSS company and not even in a company where IT is the main focus.

Last week I was at work doing something at my desk when the phone ring: "Someone named XXXX from the city YYYY is asking for you". Unknown name, but I take the line, maybe is something business related and not spam. "Hi, I am XXXX from city YYYY and I have a question about OpenOffice". My first reaction was "from where do you have this number?". The answer: he got my name from the OpenOffice.org website, found my work email address, then my employer website and phone number.

Then he asked something about using regular expressions in Calc filters, but I was to shocked by his gesture to call me at work (is clear from the website we work in an unrelated area) so I could not answer at the moment (and I needed a look in the help anyway). My reply was along the "I can't tell you right now, but let's talk on the mailing list, even if I don't know the answer, maybe somebody else can and if not, you may ask on the English list". And he: "but I don't know enough English" (but he knew enough to find my employer website (which is entirely English), and my work phone number there.

Of course, he never came to the list to properly ask the question, which was not hard to answer.

The moral of this story is: use the proper communication channels, otherwise you may not get the desired answer (hehe, this may apply also to me sometimes...)

Articles page

On a related note, about the communication clarity, I did a cleanup of my articles page, it was a straight translation from my blog, with bad and bloated html and css. I now communicate clearer and my money are at the same place with my mouth.

Office stuff; Tutorials

Microsoft Office 2007

I see a lot of complacency inside the OpenOffice.org team regarding the new look and feel of Microsoft Office 2007. The general tendency is to disregard is as something user will reject, wanting something more familiar and choose OOo as the "safe" choice. Is hard to argue for or against without facts, so I used the opportunity of an MSO 2007 deploy to observe the users (my own Guinea Pigs) and draw my own opinion based on this.

Premise: I had recently to upgrade some of my desktop users with both hardware and software, going from Windows 98 + Microsoft Office 2000 to Windows XP + Microsoft Office 2007. Of course I tried to push OpenOffice.org, but the reply I got from the decision maker was something along the lines: "I saw OpenOffice and it is a fart" and he went for MSO 2007 Professional, top of the line, full-price (why he thinks that is a long separate talk, we can discuss with another opportunity).

Users: My users are, I think, a very good sample, they use various incarnations of Office for a long time, at least 7-10 years but at a very basic level, mostly Word and Excel for simple things (no charts, mail merge, templates or such "advanced" stuff). They may use PowerPoint only to see a .pps joke received in the mail and nobody ever used Access (note: Outlook is forbidden in my network).

Reaction At the first look, they reacted exactly as expected, ranging from "can't you make look like the old one?" to "I can't do anything with it, I have to re-learn everything I knew".
The very next day, their opinion changed dramatically, to "wow! this new Office has a lot of new functions, I never saw those in the old one" and to "I said is hard to use but in fact is much easier".

Conclusion: I see two possible conclusions from this:

• Microsoft is up to something here and they have a really better, more usable interface
• we are completely brainwashed by Microsoft and without comment will accept anything they throw at us.

Of course I did my own testing of the interface in the 5 minutes or so spent learning how to change a couple of defaults (.doc instead of .docx as file format for compatibility with the rest of the users and with the rest of the world and A4 as paper size for compatibility with the printers) but I keep from expressing my opinion as I, as a long-time member of the OpenOffice.org community am far of being unbiased and also far from being a regular user.

What OpenOffice.org people do about this? For now nothing, I saw a core developer saying "we can easily implement this Ribbon interface if we want" and this is all.

Tutorials

Easy to notice, another week passed and no tutorial on my blog, probably you saw it coming (not only because I was busy with deploying MS Office and observing the users). And I am not sure I want to continue without help from my readers, I really need raw materials and motivation.

To not spam the aggregators, I will add in the comments how the readers can help me with this.

Localization

There is a talk on the Romanian OpenOffice.org mailing list about the lack of speed on our project, the few people working on it and their lack of enthusiasm.

My take on this is: I will contribute (and have contributed in the past) to the UI translation (in a very small amount) but I will never use it for myself. Yeah, pretty strong this never.

I got a reply from Secărică deploring this attitude as being unconstructive. He is forcing himself to use his own translations (as bad as they are) in order to detect bugs and fix them.

I guess we are all different people, I can not stand an interface saying "soarece" instead of "mouse" or "brouser" instead of "browser" (as proposed on the diacritice localization list).

PS: to add insult to injury, right now I blog about this localization issue in English too :p

OpenOffice.org icons - Galaxy

Sun just unveiled a new icon design for OpenOffice.org, named Galaxy.

As always, I have a strong opinion about it but at the second toght would not say much about it now. Only that they use too many details at the smallest size (16x16px) and the result is a little blurry.

Fedora themes, OOo translation, life and beards.

Fedora themes - Round 1

Today is December 4, the end of Round 1 for submitting theme proposals. There are some more or less formal proposals, like Borealis, Dreams, Flying High, Planet, Tangram, each with its ups and downs. I expect a productive discussion on our mailing list in the next days.

Bad me, I was unworthy again and have not contributed a theme concept, only useless comments.

UPDATE: the deadline was extended until December 6

Translating OpenOffice.org in Romanian

It started with a big boom but the process was stalled for about one year. Now we have a leadership change: ghrt, from translating the User Manual fame, is taking charge of the UI translation. We will see how this will improve the work, I hope for the better.

Life?

A rhetoric question: if I lost about 15% of my weight, it was part of me, living tissue and is no more. It is correct to say a part of me died?

Beard

This is how my two months old beard is looking. Is somewhat funny how people look at me in shock, like I am some kind of circus freak, I had even requests for touching my beard.

Get Legal - Get OpenOffice.org

We launched the Romanian version of the Get Legal - Get OpenOffice.org campaign. Feel free to link to those pages and/or put buttons on your pages:

OpenDocument - ISO 26300

So OpenDocument was adopted as an international standard: ISO/IEC 26300.
Open the champagne, bring the beer or whatever you like, is the time to party!

Open Source Parking

Quoting Netcraft about the new launched Open Source Domain Parking Service:

The project's goals are to increase the market share for open source software and generate revenue from advertising on the parked domains, which will be used to fund "political and promotional efforts" on behalf of open source software.

I'm glad one of the ads used on those parked domains is my OpenOffice.org button:

Power in numbers

I previously talked about this: Microsoft has stated that the company will support the OpenDocument format in MS Office if there is customer demand. So the OpenDocument Fellowship started a petition to show this demand is real. This just reached a significant milestone: over 10.000 signatures, representing over 277.000 computers.

You can sign it too!

BoringOffice.org

Someone just discovered the StarWars game easter egg in OpenOffice.org Calc so la lot of noise started:
- the developers does not take the project seriously;
- this is not professional;
- we can't trust OOo;
- my employees wile play instead of work;
- this is a blocker for adoption in schools;
- etc.

Bugs opened in IssueZilla only to be closed by developers in a few minutes, endless threads on the mailing list - in a few words: hell on earth.

So if having easter eggs is so bad, how one can explain the dominance of Microsoft Office, with the famous flight simulator in Excel?

Well, I have a simple solution for those people: download the source code, comment the easter eggs code, build a binary, rename it BoringOffice.org and advertise it as "the same OpenOffice.org but with all the fun taken out".

go4it

go4it is a magazine with very little content: advertising for gadgets and pictures of babes holding those gadgets.

Today it was the first time for me reading this magazine (if we can call "reading" my two minutes look at it) and I don't like it:

• no real content, only advertising for expensive gadgets with a lot of hype (better search yourself online);


• the babes wear to many clothes for my taste (better search yourself online).

Then why blog about it? This number have something interesting, and I do not talk about the girl, the famous (for Romanians) Abramburica (she is so-so, nice body, common face, bad actress). The real event: they have a comparison of OpenOffice.org and Microsoft Office 2003.

Their conclusion: the best tool is the one you are used with, OOo has a formidable price but is slow and resource hungry (true).
And the second conclusion: it does not matter much, because soon we all will be using Writely.

It looks like they did their job, the article list the address of our Native-Lang Project and mention the work on localization as an advantage.

Can I be allowed to hope for a future edition with a centerfold of a better babe clothed in OOo CDs? Anyway, I will not buy it, but receiving it for free, will browse for a couple of minutes.

R.I.P. - MyLINUX magazine

My picture just got published in a magazine - MyLINUX, so I purchased this morning one to show it to my mom :p

I had a surprise opening it: an announcement saying the magazine will be published in the future only in PDF format on the CD-ROM of their other magazines (MyComputer, PCGames and CDForum). So practically, the magazine is dead.

I wonder if it was bad karma for them to publish my picture in the magazine or a Linux magazine is not a viable business in Romania.

On a more serious note, I think I have some ideas on why the magazine failed after only 7 editions:

• the company making it is not big, probably is hard to push that many magazines


• the paper based media is dying being replaced by online venues and this is more visible on IT magazines


• maybe I am well informed and in touch with the Linux world, but this particular magazine failed to offer to me significant value


• in a country where a copy of Windows costs very little above the price of a blank CD (at the corner of the street, of course), desktop Linux is a niche product for end-users

note: It looks like my blog posts are pretty negative lately, maybe I should write about more optimistic things, like the incredibly cool idea of a SVG game