How Open Standards and Open Source Software are better for you.
Recently I was asked to look at doing some lighting for a display. Normal thing given my back ground. Typically I would simply use professional theatrical equipment and be done with it. However this situation had some other requirements. Namely it had to run outside for a month, theatrical dimming and instruments are massive over kill, and (as always) cost. My search led me to a company that builds UL listed outdoor dimmers with integrated program memory. They have a wireless option and a few other things (including cost) that make it the perfect solution. Some problems: the programer only runs on Windows. OK I can deal with that. The show files apear to be non-human readable and the protocal on the wire is closed. That sucks, I am locked out if the company goes down, very posible given the media bashing the economy. So if they go away I am left with files and hardware that is only compatible with one program. And now, the deal breaker: The software has an expiration date. After that date the program will not load. No message telling you that, it just will not work. There comment in a forum “a valid user would not have this happen to them” So now I am not a valid user if I do not follow there forum anounceents? I don’t have time to track expiration dates on programs. Sure the updates are free, for now, but what if that company goes down? Congratulations, you now have a brick.
Similar problems happen with other software. Microsoft Works and Publisher files ONLY work witht he same version they were saved with. Lose those programs and your sunk. Atleast they did not put in a time bomb kill switch. Update your computer? You dont have a licence to install the old version on your new compuetr, if it will even go. If you find your self in this situation save the Works file as Ritch Text (.rtf) Almost any word processor can open that. With Publisher your sunk. There are othe examples but enough ranting and bashing for now.
What’s the solution? Open Standards. A friend sen’t me a document he made in OpenOffice.org I happend to be on a Linux computer I had not installed OpenOffice.org on. I did not realise this tho. I just cliked on the file and it opend, in AbiWord. No probem. The fie format is open. Infact just to see if I could I opend an OpenOffice.org file in Firefox, It opend it, Pictures and all! So even if any one of thos went away you could still read YOUR fie.
What about the light show? Well if they stored the file in a human readable form then even if they go away you could open the file and retrieve your data to use in anoter control program. Or make a quick tweek in a text editor, yes I do this with other programs. At least I would not feel locked into them.
Comanies, provide a way for your customers to get at there own data if you go away. Consumers, DEMAND IT!