Unfair Promotion of Microsoft Products Response
I recently received a
response from the Minister Responsible for the CRTC Bev Oda on a issue I had written about a while back:
****
Subject: Re: [Fwd: RE: Unfair Promotion of Microsoft Products]
Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2007 09:08:32 -0500
From: Mathieu Allard
To: Oda.B@parl.gc.ca
CC: simarr@parl.gc.ca
References: <441B491A.6000302@opalescent.ca>
The Honourable Beverley J. Oda,
Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women
CC The Honourable Raymond Simard
Dear Minister,
I am writing further to my original email which was sent on March 17th, 2006.
Please let me know if a response is forthcoming.
Sincerely,
Mathieu Allard
> The Honourable Beverley J. Oda
> Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women
>
> CC The Honourable Raymond Simard
>
> Dear Minister,
>
> I am bringing this issue to your attention as the CRTC reports to= p>
> Parliament through the Minister of Canadian Heritage.
>
> On page :
> http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/help.htm
>
> There is a reference to .doc and to .xls files and links to
> office.microsoft.com for help on how to view these files.
>
> While I understand that these are popular file formats, I also
> understand that these file formats are owned and controlled by a si= ngle
> vendor, in this case Microsoft Corporation.
>
> In advertising specific brands on the website, the CRTC is giving t= his
> specific vendor an unfair competitive advantage over other firms th= at
> provide spreadsheet and word processing systems.
>
> The larger office productivity industry has come together to create=
> international standards for these file formats under the name of
> OpenDocument. OpenDocument is not only a standard via OASIS
> (Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standar= ds),
> but was submitted by OASIS to the ISO/IEC JTC1 (International
> Organization for Standardization International Electrotechnical
> Commission's Joint Technical Committe= e).
>
> More information on OpenDoucument can= be found at:
> http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/= office
>
>
> Refer to the March 7 press release:= span>
> http://www.oasis-open.org/news/oasis-= news-2006-03-07.php
>
> I have written to the CRTC on this ma= tter and they have responded that
> "Some of the documents on our si= te have originated outside the
> Commission and are in a format other = than HTML and are made available in
> the file format sent to us (we do not= manipulate or convert third party
> documents". However, if these do= cuments are available for public
> download on the website, it is unders= tood that these documents should be
> viewable to the public. It would be r= easonable to convert these
> documents to an open file format or r= equire third parties to submit
> their files in open file formats so t= hat no one is excluded from the
> discussion.
>
> Why does the CRTC not assure that documents be made available for= p>
> download in .pdf format or in the OpenDocument Format, formats that= are
> published vendor neutral file formats?
>
> Thank you very much for taking the time to read my comments and I w= ould
> appreciate an email response as to your position on the issues that= I
> have raised in this email.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Mathieu Allard
> Mail Address:
> 232 Aubert St.
> Winnipeg, Manitoba
> R2H 0B3
>
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: RE: Unfair Promotion of Microsoft Products
> Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2006 14:00:02 -0500
> From: WEBMASTER
> To: Mathieu Allard
>
>
>
> Mathieu,
>
> Thank you for writing to the CRTC. I apologize for the delay in get= ting
> back to you. Some of the documents on our site have originated outs= ide the
> Commission and are in a format other than HTML and are made availab= le in
> the file format sent to us (we do not manipulate or convert third p= arty
> documents). These documents may require the use of a special reader= and
> that is why we make the information available in our help file. All= CRTC
> documents are published in HTML format and many are also available = in PDF.
>
> I hope this information is helpful.
>
> Lorraine S=C3=A9guin
> Webmestre | Webmaster
>
> (819) 997-4272 | lorraine.seguin@crtc.gc.ca | T=C3=A9l=C3=A9copieur= /Fax: (819)
> 994-0218 Conseil de la radiodiffusion et des t=C3=A9l=C3=A9communic= ations
> canadiennes, Ottawa (Ontario) K1A 0N2 Canada Canadian Radio-televis= ion and
> Telecommunications Commission, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N2 Canada Gouve= rnement
> du Canada | Government of Canada
>
> ------------
>
> To Whom It May Concern,
>
> I am writing to bring attention to the fact that on page :
> http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/help.htm
>
> There is a reference to .doc and to .xls files and links to
> office.microsoft.com for help on how to view these files.
>
> While I understand that these are popular file formats, I also unde= rstand
> that these file formats are owned by Microsoft Corporation.
>
> In advertising the products on the website, I feel that you are pro= moting
> specific non-standard Information and Communications Technology bra= nds on
> your website you are giving Microsoft an unfair advantage over othe= r firms
> that provide spreadsheet and word processing systems.
>
> If documents are something that are part of the CRTC's website, I w= ould
> personally recommend that these documents be made available for dow= nload in
> .pdf format, a format that is a published vendor neutral file forma= t.
>
> Thank you very much for taking the time to read my comments and I w= ould
> appreciate a response as to the CRTC's position on the issues that = I have
> raised in this email.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Mathieu Allard
--
Mathieu Allard
Email: mathieu@opalescent.ca
Mail Address:
232 Aubert St.
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R2H 0B3
-----