[OT] documents for the general public need to be generally readable

[Wade Smart]

Bart Silverstrim wrote:

> In truth I don't know where you are or if your local flavor of your 
> district is this obstinate or if there's more to the story than you're 
> revealing, as I've never run across a situation where you find a need to 
> escalate past the superintendent when having a problem with a 
> teacher...especially over something like emailed document format. You 
> can't be the only one having problems reading Docx so I don't understand 
> why your email sounds like a David vs. Goliath situation...
> 

20081029 1039 GMT-6

Im in Oklahoma. And the funny thing about my school district - I install 
Ubuntu on their systems. I have put it in the labs, I have several 
teachers trying it out, and even some of the administration.

I dont want to drag this out on list as its off topic so Ill just say 
this: one of the reason I started pushing for the use of Ubuntu was 
because so many teachers had problems on the classroom computers and in 
the labs. They couldnt keep them (the pc's) running. I started helping 
out by keeping those running - and I did so by using Ubuntu.

Through the use of WINE I was able to keep very old "learn to type" 
software running when they moved to a system that didnt support it.

By installing it in the labs (well 2 labs for test purposes) we were 
able to keep using older computers. They did - havent crashed or gone 
done one time in the since the Spring of last year.

Im talking with the school board now - (as in literally, Im on the phone 
as I type this) - about the fact that if the school is using new 
software at the 9-12 grades but the 1-8 is not, not only can I not read 
what was sent out, neither can their own teachers. Which was just 
demonstrated when I forward it to one board member and she could not 
open it on her Apple Powerbook.

Anyway, my point still remains - just as is stressed on this list - send 
JUST TEXT, no html messaging (though some do) so everyone can read it 
easily and on any platform, I think it needs to be the same everywhere - 
though Im picking on schools --- my school -- now :)

Wade