Contact for Italy (marco.fioretti, at:: opendocumentfellowship.com)

I am a full time freelance writer for several Linux and other IT magazines, a FOSS trainer. I regularly write about digital rights, relationships between digital technologies and education and other topics at the Stop! Zona -M website and speak about the same topics. More updated information is in my professional home page. I am the co-founder of the following projects:

• RULE (2002, current coordinator), which makes modern Free Software easily installable on older computers (Free Software is not free when it needs a new PC to run decently...)
• Eleutheros (2006), which aims to promote a wider, official adoption of Free Software and non proprietary formats within the Catholic Church.

Later on, I started to follow the attempts of the Free Software and disabled users communities to communicate more effectively (original version of the same letter).

My most recent project for explaining the importance of Free as in Freedom digital standards and software to all parents and teachers is the Family Guide to Digital Freedom.

I have always been interested in truly Open file formats and protocols. The following list links to some of my articles which specifically cover these issues. Most of them provide information about OpenDocument or explain why everybody (not just IT professionals) should require that it is supported everywhere.

General Information

• Just say No to OpenXML
• Nov. 2005 seminar on "How file formats can be used to favor (or hamper) innovation" (there is also an Italian version, courtesy of M. Darida: email me for the OpenDocument version (2 MB) with higher resolution images). Here is a report of the seminar, with comments from the participants.
• OpenDocument talk at the Italian Linux Day 2005, Rome (in Italian). Here is a report of the Linux Day on Linux.com
• Everybody's Guide to OpenDocument (this is particularly important because it has been conceived as a NON technical piece that can be printed out and distributed to any audience, regardless of their IT skills. Please contact me if you want to translate it in other languages)
• Free Software's surprising sympathy with Catholic doctrine
• Christian Endorsement for Free Software Increases
• Format Wars
• Converting proprietary Ebooks to open formats
• The OASIS Office File format
• Free Software, disabled users must learn to communicate
• Open Letter: how the FOSS community may help disabled users (to use Free Software and also understand the importance of OpenDocument)

Open formats for governments and businesses

• IDABC: Toward a digitally interoperable Europe
• Economics Researchers meet OpenDocument
• UBL: another opportunity for FOSS in the enterprise

Open formats for a better education

• INGOTs: free software service certification
• A driver's license for free software?
• Bit Prepared: the missing link between Free Software and Scouting
• Bit Prepared II: Stallman meets the World Scout Bureau

What is missing from OpenDocument and why

• Macros an obstacle to office suite compatibility
• OpenDocument office suites lack formula compatibility
• The Lack of a Small Unified Database