<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <meta content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1" http-equiv="Content-Type"> <title></title> </head> <body text="#000000" bgcolor="#ffffff"> Firstly sorry if people are already aware of this but it is important and urgent. This is something that you all need be aware of urgently: <a href="http://digital.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/2012/04/26/open-standards-consultation-important-update/" target="_blank">http://digital.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/2012/04/26/open-standards-consultation- important-update/</a> The upshot of this is that someone who was supposed to be a neutral facilitator has been found to have links with Microsoft the deadline for consultations from the public has been put back by a month. The corporate interests have been busy lobbying to get the whole Open Standards discussion perverted by FRAND patent licensing. We need to have a wide range of voices to keep the intent of this which is to allow our Government/NHS/Councils etc. to be able to gain from better quality, lower cost open source software not having to keep paying inflated prices for Microsoft/Oracle and other corporates. We now have until 4th June to make submissions. Please take an hour or so to understand the issues and add your voice to the weight of public opinion that wants an end to this corporate stranglehold on our government computing. The link to the submissions site is at the end of that cabinet office announcement. I noticed in today's Daily Mail that the MPs are all getting a complementary iPad (paid for by we taxpayers) - another huge corporation trying to get its hooks into them. <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2138068/MPs-offered-iPads-expenses-Commons-authorities-decide-spend-250-000-new-toys.html?ito=feeds-newsxml">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2138068/MPs-offered-iPads-expenses-Commons-authorities-decide-spend-250-000-new-toys.html?ito=feeds-newsxml</a> <div class="moz-signature">-- Deluxe Technology Ltd Linux Consultant <a href="mailto:mhouston@deluxe-tech.co.uk">mhouston@deluxe-tech.co.uk</a> <a href="http://www.deluxe-tech.co.uk">http://www.deluxe-tech.co.uk</a> Mob: 07970 850961</div> </body> </html>