On Mon, Dec 22, 2003 at 09:18:12AM -0800, Vineet Kumar wrote: > * Dan Griswold ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) [031220 06:55]: > > Matt Price <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > > > > > A student has sent me a paper as an email attachment. It's an > > > MSWord document -- which should be fine, since OOo and AbiWord and > > > KWord all open MS docs -- but it comes from a Mac, I'm assuming a > > > pre-osX mac. Mutt tells me it's of type: application/x-macbinary > > > anyway, I can open the file in OpenOffice, but it's a total mess -- > > > control characters everywhere, illegible garbage top and bottom, no > > > footnotes. > > > > > Is there, then, a general strategy for dealing with these icky MacOS > > > files? > > > > I've had this problem, too. I decided that the Linux-based converters > > had not been programmed to handle these early Mac formats. My only > > solution was to have someone save the file either in a current MSWord > > format or in something open or quasi-open, such as HTML or RTF. > > Of course, if you're in a position to do so (accepting applicants' > resumes, students' papers, etc.) flat-out refusal of all non-free file > formats is a good way to go. Many times, unfortunately, we find > ourselves not in this position, but one in which non-free "de-facto > 'standards'" must be accepted. IMO, closed data file formats are the > worst threat to free computing today. It's the case in which not only > are users restricted in the usual ways of non-free software (not being > able to perform security audits / bug fixes on their important > applications' source), but indeed their own data are kept locked away > from them in little black boxes. This is an effect which must be > countered at every turn.
with you there! matt > > good times, > Vineet -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
