The document discusses the issue of file formats and accessibility of digital information over time. It provides examples where important data stored in obsolete file formats became inaccessible, such as data from the 1976 Viking Mars lander mission and images stored by the BBC. The UK National Archives also faces the risk of losing some of its 580 terabytes of data in obsolete formats that can no longer be read. Access to file formats is critical for long-term preservation and access to digital information and knowledge.
About the Webinar
The digitization of resources can provide expanded access to information as well as a preservation mechanism for now-fragile materials. Preserving the digital copy of the resource is an issue now being addressed, but what about the software used to create digital files? How can software on media which can no longer be read -- or no longer be read easily -- be preserved? If that software can’t be accessed, what happens to the material created by, and only read by, that software?
Progress has been made in formulating standards for the preservation and description of digital materials and a framework for addressing digital item preservation has been proposed. Despite, however, meetings such as the Library of Congress’ “Preserving.exe: Toward a National Strategy for Preserving Software,” no formal standard or framework yet exists for software digitization and preservation. This webinar will feature three presenters who will speak on aspects of software digitization and preservation, including a how-to approach (technical aspects), a metadata component, and observations from the field as part of the continuing discussion on the state of the field and the need for standardization.
Agenda
Introduction
Todd Carpenter, Executive Director, NISO
Software artifacts: Migration and Emulation
Michael Lesk, Professor of Library and Information Science, Rutgers University
Emulation in practice: Emulation as a Service at Yale University Library: Lessons learnt and plans for the future
Euan Cochrane, Digital Preservation Manager, Yale University Library
No (You Can't Expect To Run Your Files Just Because You Saved Them)
Jon Ippolito, Professor of New Media and Director of the Digital Curation graduate program, University of Maine
The crucial role of file formats in building and preserving Digital Media Cul...Marco Fioretti
Digital documents, from Tweets or Facebook status updates to law texts and streaming TV, can make a lot to improve building and preservation of cultures, make social life and education richer, increase citizen civic participation and government transparency.*
However, this potential can be achieved only if all these digital documents are always preserved and shared in the smallest possible number of truly open formats. When this doesn't happen, both individuals and society lose crucial information and have much less possibilities to exchange or correlate digital data in the ways that would have the most positive effects on culture, education and civic participation.
My thoughts and proposals for a Quality Education in a digital world, as I shared them in 2009, at the first assembly of the Open Learning Exchange (OLE) in Kathmandu, Nepal.
OLE (http://www.ole.org) is an international organization whose goal was to make Quality Universal Basic Education accessible by 2015 to hundred millions of children worldwide. In 2009 I was invited to participate and speak (see slides below) to the first OLE International Assembly in Kathmandu. I have already reported about what I learned at the assembly in these articles:
The Catholic Church in the age of Digital FormatsMarco Fioretti
The nature of our age demands that the Catholic Church produces documents, and communicates, digitally, more and more every year. So far, however, very little attention has been paid to whether the usual, mainstream tools that many others already use are, indeed, technically suitable for the Church. Or if mainstream legal formulas and licenses are the most effective ones. These slides of mine from 2013 address all these issues.
Beyond Free/Open Source Software
How can open formats, data and digital services make governments and society more effective, save public money and stimulate local economy?
About the Webinar
The digitization of resources can provide expanded access to information as well as a preservation mechanism for now-fragile materials. Preserving the digital copy of the resource is an issue now being addressed, but what about the software used to create digital files? How can software on media which can no longer be read -- or no longer be read easily -- be preserved? If that software can’t be accessed, what happens to the material created by, and only read by, that software?
Progress has been made in formulating standards for the preservation and description of digital materials and a framework for addressing digital item preservation has been proposed. Despite, however, meetings such as the Library of Congress’ “Preserving.exe: Toward a National Strategy for Preserving Software,” no formal standard or framework yet exists for software digitization and preservation. This webinar will feature three presenters who will speak on aspects of software digitization and preservation, including a how-to approach (technical aspects), a metadata component, and observations from the field as part of the continuing discussion on the state of the field and the need for standardization.
Agenda
Introduction
Todd Carpenter, Executive Director, NISO
Software artifacts: Migration and Emulation
Michael Lesk, Professor of Library and Information Science, Rutgers University
Emulation in practice: Emulation as a Service at Yale University Library: Lessons learnt and plans for the future
Euan Cochrane, Digital Preservation Manager, Yale University Library
No (You Can't Expect To Run Your Files Just Because You Saved Them)
Jon Ippolito, Professor of New Media and Director of the Digital Curation graduate program, University of Maine
The crucial role of file formats in building and preserving Digital Media Cul...Marco Fioretti
Digital documents, from Tweets or Facebook status updates to law texts and streaming TV, can make a lot to improve building and preservation of cultures, make social life and education richer, increase citizen civic participation and government transparency.*
However, this potential can be achieved only if all these digital documents are always preserved and shared in the smallest possible number of truly open formats. When this doesn't happen, both individuals and society lose crucial information and have much less possibilities to exchange or correlate digital data in the ways that would have the most positive effects on culture, education and civic participation.
My thoughts and proposals for a Quality Education in a digital world, as I shared them in 2009, at the first assembly of the Open Learning Exchange (OLE) in Kathmandu, Nepal.
OLE (http://www.ole.org) is an international organization whose goal was to make Quality Universal Basic Education accessible by 2015 to hundred millions of children worldwide. In 2009 I was invited to participate and speak (see slides below) to the first OLE International Assembly in Kathmandu. I have already reported about what I learned at the assembly in these articles:
The Catholic Church in the age of Digital FormatsMarco Fioretti
The nature of our age demands that the Catholic Church produces documents, and communicates, digitally, more and more every year. So far, however, very little attention has been paid to whether the usual, mainstream tools that many others already use are, indeed, technically suitable for the Church. Or if mainstream legal formulas and licenses are the most effective ones. These slides of mine from 2013 address all these issues.
Beyond Free/Open Source Software
How can open formats, data and digital services make governments and society more effective, save public money and stimulate local economy?
UASD: Computers and Internet: sources of social exclusion or engines of educa...Marco Fioretti
This is my talk at the first conference about Free Software and Knowledge in Santo Domingo. The conference goal was to "promote and spread the philosophy of Free software, education and knowledge in the Dominican Republic, among all who are concerned about the social, economic and scientific development of Santo Domingo". The main points of the talk were
What is software anyway?
Do computers and Internet unite or divide?
Do they help educate and empower, or do they divide and estrange?
What is the contribution of Universities to the effects of these technologies?
What could it be?
Why and how to promote scripting languages
in schools and small businesses: "it can save a huge amount of work!"
Background: these are the slides of my talk at the 2010 Free Software conference in Kosova. For details, read http://mfioretti.com/power-scripting-why-and-how-promote-scripting-languages-schools-and-small-businesses
Personal Clouds to replace corporate-controlled platformsMarco Fioretti
some thoughts, and my own Percloud vision, about “Personal Clouds to replace corporate-controlled-platforms”.
The Percloud (PERmanent/PERsonal cloud) is a proposal for a feasible and usable alternative to Facebook, Google and similar services.
Many of the concepts and answers mentioned there are further developed in many posts on my own blog https://stop.zona-m.net/
More background about this specific presentation is available here:
https://mfioretti.com/2018/02/calicut-personal-clouds-to-replace-corporate-controlled-platforms/
ForgetIT – Some store to remember, some store to forget
With growing storage capacities and sinking storage prices, the paradigm of keeping everything is prevailing. However, keeping information accessible, useable and useful goes far beyond purely keeping things, especially in the long run, and entails expenses much larger than just the storage costs. This issue especially applies to content in Content Management Systems where we increasingly face the situation of creating, managing and storing (preserving) multimedia content, which we might never access again due to the pure volume of content.
To overcome these issues, we envision the concept of flexible managed forgetting for information that progressively ceases in importance and finally becomes obsolete as well as for redundant information. We will extend TYPO3 with preservation and forgetting. The forgetting will also reduce the user’s cognitive burden for past activities and information in TYPO3 but still allows access if needed. The same as our brain will retrieve details of our past when remembering and getting associations, the approach will provide such means.
Within the Seventh Framework Programme for Research (FP7) of the European Union the "ForgetIT" project strives to build a solution for the mentioned problems. The project has a scope of 3 years and TYPO3 has been selected as CMS to build upon as it is Open Source Software and has an open and active community.
An overview of the project can be found on the projects website (of course made with TYPO3): http://www.forgetit-project.eu/
Changing sceneries changing roles part 6 - METADATA AS THE CORNERSTONE OF DIG...FIAT/IFTA
Selected papers from the FIAT/IFTA Media Management Seminar Changing Sceneries, Changing Roles Part VI, Hilversum 16th - 17th MAy 2013
Organised by The FIAT/IFTA Media Management Commission and Beeld en Geluid.
Designed by axel green for fiat/ifta
Cover and section photos by Aad Van Der Valk
Printed version by Beeld en Geluid at Mullervisual Communication 2013
Even an open standard like ODF (the OpenDocument Format) can become a backdoor for proprietary software components that will lock you in. For more info and background see this page on my website: http://mfioretti.com/2010/04/granada-opendocument-traps/
Software Heritage: Building the Universal Software Archive, OW2con'16, Paris.OW2
The goal of the Software Heritage project is to collect, preserve, and share all publicly available software in source code form. Forever.
By doing so Software Heritage will serve the needs of: Society, by preserving our collective technological heritage; Industry, by building the largest software provenance open database; Science, by assembling the largest curated archive for software research; and Education, by creating the ultimate anthology for programming curricula.
Although still in Beta, Software Heritage has already archived more than 2.5 billion unique source code files and 600 million unique commits, spanning more than 20 million projects from major software development hubs, GNU/Linux distributions, and upstream software collections.
Software Heritage is developed transparently as a collaborative project and all its own source code is available as Free/Open Source Software. Currently incubated by Inria, the project will graduate soon to an independent charitable, nonprofit organization.
This is the talk I gave at the CONSEGI 2011 conference in Brasilia, in May 2011, about Digital Citizenship Basic Education: an urgent social need of all contemporary societies, regardless of their industrializations. The talk also includes some proposals to achieve it.
Emerging trends and issues related to Open DataMarco Fioretti
Talk from 2011, but still current, about: the cultural price of digitization, the need of Open Data, the legal obstacles that limit them, and how all these things are connected
Digital dark age - Are we doing enough to preserve our website heritage?Olivier Dobberkau
While creating web sites we often see their lifespan only for up to 3 to 5 years. With every relaunch
and overhaul we are confronted with content migration and short term motives to delete maybe
valuable content. On the other hand what is the value of our content? Can we assess it
meaningfully? Do we really know in which context it is used?
Scientist stated that where as we are producing more and more digital artifacts we fail to see that
we are not keeping an eye on preserving it in a manner that will enable us to find and use it in more
that a few years in the future.
This talk will introduce you the aspects of digital preservation with a special look on how TYPO3 is
preparing to help it users to create a digital heritage.
This Talk is part of the "Concise Preservation by combining Managed Forgetting and
Contextualized Remembering" Project ForgetIT. The ForgetIT project is funded by the EC within the
7th Framework Programme under the objective "Digital Preservation" (GA 600826).
Digital devices as one of my 2015-2016 lectures at the University of Bergamo.Roberto Peretta
Digital devices as one of my 2015-2016 lectures at the University of Bergamo. It's stimulus material, posted to improve communication with current students. It's not interesting for the academia.
How and Why Open Hardware and Open Source can and should be used in non-weste...Marco Fioretti
ALL countries have the same rights to the same minimal standards of material wealth, hygiene, education, mobility. Each country should achieve that goal in the sustainable way that is culturally and politically best for ITSELF
But there is simply no way to get there without Open Hardware
During the 2011 Internet Governance Forum in Trento I presented the results of my "Open Data, Open Society research" starting with exactly that question: are Open Data a luxury for rich countries, a fashionable buzzword, or a REAL necessity for any country?
(
the link to the report is here: http://mfioretti.com/2011/11/trento-open-data-open-society-at-the-igf/
More Related Content
Similar to Open file formats favour real innovation and really free markets
UASD: Computers and Internet: sources of social exclusion or engines of educa...Marco Fioretti
This is my talk at the first conference about Free Software and Knowledge in Santo Domingo. The conference goal was to "promote and spread the philosophy of Free software, education and knowledge in the Dominican Republic, among all who are concerned about the social, economic and scientific development of Santo Domingo". The main points of the talk were
What is software anyway?
Do computers and Internet unite or divide?
Do they help educate and empower, or do they divide and estrange?
What is the contribution of Universities to the effects of these technologies?
What could it be?
Why and how to promote scripting languages
in schools and small businesses: "it can save a huge amount of work!"
Background: these are the slides of my talk at the 2010 Free Software conference in Kosova. For details, read http://mfioretti.com/power-scripting-why-and-how-promote-scripting-languages-schools-and-small-businesses
Personal Clouds to replace corporate-controlled platformsMarco Fioretti
some thoughts, and my own Percloud vision, about “Personal Clouds to replace corporate-controlled-platforms”.
The Percloud (PERmanent/PERsonal cloud) is a proposal for a feasible and usable alternative to Facebook, Google and similar services.
Many of the concepts and answers mentioned there are further developed in many posts on my own blog https://stop.zona-m.net/
More background about this specific presentation is available here:
https://mfioretti.com/2018/02/calicut-personal-clouds-to-replace-corporate-controlled-platforms/
ForgetIT – Some store to remember, some store to forget
With growing storage capacities and sinking storage prices, the paradigm of keeping everything is prevailing. However, keeping information accessible, useable and useful goes far beyond purely keeping things, especially in the long run, and entails expenses much larger than just the storage costs. This issue especially applies to content in Content Management Systems where we increasingly face the situation of creating, managing and storing (preserving) multimedia content, which we might never access again due to the pure volume of content.
To overcome these issues, we envision the concept of flexible managed forgetting for information that progressively ceases in importance and finally becomes obsolete as well as for redundant information. We will extend TYPO3 with preservation and forgetting. The forgetting will also reduce the user’s cognitive burden for past activities and information in TYPO3 but still allows access if needed. The same as our brain will retrieve details of our past when remembering and getting associations, the approach will provide such means.
Within the Seventh Framework Programme for Research (FP7) of the European Union the "ForgetIT" project strives to build a solution for the mentioned problems. The project has a scope of 3 years and TYPO3 has been selected as CMS to build upon as it is Open Source Software and has an open and active community.
An overview of the project can be found on the projects website (of course made with TYPO3): http://www.forgetit-project.eu/
Changing sceneries changing roles part 6 - METADATA AS THE CORNERSTONE OF DIG...FIAT/IFTA
Selected papers from the FIAT/IFTA Media Management Seminar Changing Sceneries, Changing Roles Part VI, Hilversum 16th - 17th MAy 2013
Organised by The FIAT/IFTA Media Management Commission and Beeld en Geluid.
Designed by axel green for fiat/ifta
Cover and section photos by Aad Van Der Valk
Printed version by Beeld en Geluid at Mullervisual Communication 2013
Even an open standard like ODF (the OpenDocument Format) can become a backdoor for proprietary software components that will lock you in. For more info and background see this page on my website: http://mfioretti.com/2010/04/granada-opendocument-traps/
Software Heritage: Building the Universal Software Archive, OW2con'16, Paris.OW2
The goal of the Software Heritage project is to collect, preserve, and share all publicly available software in source code form. Forever.
By doing so Software Heritage will serve the needs of: Society, by preserving our collective technological heritage; Industry, by building the largest software provenance open database; Science, by assembling the largest curated archive for software research; and Education, by creating the ultimate anthology for programming curricula.
Although still in Beta, Software Heritage has already archived more than 2.5 billion unique source code files and 600 million unique commits, spanning more than 20 million projects from major software development hubs, GNU/Linux distributions, and upstream software collections.
Software Heritage is developed transparently as a collaborative project and all its own source code is available as Free/Open Source Software. Currently incubated by Inria, the project will graduate soon to an independent charitable, nonprofit organization.
This is the talk I gave at the CONSEGI 2011 conference in Brasilia, in May 2011, about Digital Citizenship Basic Education: an urgent social need of all contemporary societies, regardless of their industrializations. The talk also includes some proposals to achieve it.
Emerging trends and issues related to Open DataMarco Fioretti
Talk from 2011, but still current, about: the cultural price of digitization, the need of Open Data, the legal obstacles that limit them, and how all these things are connected
Digital dark age - Are we doing enough to preserve our website heritage?Olivier Dobberkau
While creating web sites we often see their lifespan only for up to 3 to 5 years. With every relaunch
and overhaul we are confronted with content migration and short term motives to delete maybe
valuable content. On the other hand what is the value of our content? Can we assess it
meaningfully? Do we really know in which context it is used?
Scientist stated that where as we are producing more and more digital artifacts we fail to see that
we are not keeping an eye on preserving it in a manner that will enable us to find and use it in more
that a few years in the future.
This talk will introduce you the aspects of digital preservation with a special look on how TYPO3 is
preparing to help it users to create a digital heritage.
This Talk is part of the "Concise Preservation by combining Managed Forgetting and
Contextualized Remembering" Project ForgetIT. The ForgetIT project is funded by the EC within the
7th Framework Programme under the objective "Digital Preservation" (GA 600826).
Digital devices as one of my 2015-2016 lectures at the University of Bergamo.Roberto Peretta
Digital devices as one of my 2015-2016 lectures at the University of Bergamo. It's stimulus material, posted to improve communication with current students. It's not interesting for the academia.
How and Why Open Hardware and Open Source can and should be used in non-weste...Marco Fioretti
ALL countries have the same rights to the same minimal standards of material wealth, hygiene, education, mobility. Each country should achieve that goal in the sustainable way that is culturally and politically best for ITSELF
But there is simply no way to get there without Open Hardware
During the 2011 Internet Governance Forum in Trento I presented the results of my "Open Data, Open Society research" starting with exactly that question: are Open Data a luxury for rich countries, a fashionable buzzword, or a REAL necessity for any country?
(
the link to the report is here: http://mfioretti.com/2011/11/trento-open-data-open-society-at-the-igf/
I nuovi media nella Cooperazione InternazionaleMarco Fioretti
Un seminario di due ore su Nuovi Media e tecnologie digitali aperte svolto nell'ambito del Progetto Formativo "Operosità della Fede" della Caritas Diocesana di Foligno.
Digital DIY: social cultural and economic impactsMarco Fioretti
a summary of the first main assumptions and findings of the EU H2020 research project about "DiDIY" (Digital DIY), presented at the Rome Maker Faire of 2015
Globalizzazione dal basso delle reti collaborative: caratteristiche principal...Marco Fioretti
Riflessioni sul perchè le pubbliche amministrazioni locali dovrebbero stimolare la formazione di imprese, cooperative e altre organizzazioni che creino e gestiscano Beni Comuni, e su cosa dovrebbero fare per garantirne la sostenibilità nel lungo periodo, con esempi dalle attività del Free Knowledge Institute a Barcellona
Creativity vs Copyright and the Digital World: who will win? Who SHOULD win?Marco Fioretti
slides used for a discussion with the students of the Roman School of Comics. Abstract and link to video and other resources are at http://mfioretti.com/it/2017/05/roma-creativit%C3%A0-vs-copyright-e-mondo-digitale/
E-government e Open Data: uno sguardo a benefici e rischi per PA e aziende lo...Marco Fioretti
Spiegazione di come e perché...
Il bisogno in Europa di partecipazione, di servizi pubblici e sociali di tutti i tipi e di posti di lavoro aumenterà notevolmente nei prossimi anni...
...cioè proprio quando ci saranno sempre meno persone a fornire o pagare quei servizi con i sistemi tradizionali
I dati aperti possono dare un contributo significativo per risolvere questo dilemma al minor costo possibile
A talk from 2010, but still very current! These are some thoughts on the NATURE of Open Government and Open Data, what citizens need from them, and how prepared they are to work together
How can Free Software help developing countries?Marco Fioretti
The role of software in politics and social development, and why is it crucial that as much Free as in Freedom formats, digital standards and software as possible are used in those contexts
The Digital DIY phenomenon: challenge or opportunity for degrowth?Marco Fioretti
Digital Do-It-Yourself (DiDIY) is a set of DIY activities and mindsets made possible by the availability of low cost software, digital communication networks and digital fabrication devices. Today, the most popular examples of DiDIY are 3D printing and the “Makers Movement”. DiDIY, however, is a much bigger phenomenon, with potentially huge effects on the economy and the environment.
So far, the interaction between advocates of degrowth and communities like the one of Makers has been very limited and not void of reciprocal suspicion, if not hostility.
Practitioners of DiDIY seem to propose even more consumption of resources, that is the opposite of degrowth; in fact, it is hard to deny that many current examples of DiDIY only solve “first world problems”, producing even more hardly recyclable waste. DiDIY also needs, by definition, products and infrastructures, from microelectronics components to the Internet itself, that have a very big environmental footprint.
In spite of this, DiDIY can, if not become an deliberate “ally” of degrowth, give a strong contribution to mitigate some phenomenons, from waste to overconsumption, that degrowth rightly sees as serious problems. We argue that this should happen, and that much more mutual knowledge and support between the two communities are needed.
In our talk we first summarize the characteristics of DiDIY, highlighting those that seem an obstacle to degrowth. Next we present some key issues on which the degrowth and DiDIY movements may cooperate to achieve a critical mass. Finally, we mention some actions that should be implemented, at the regulatory and advocacy levels, to reach that critical mass.
Fai-da-te digitale: Barriere legali e normative alla sua diffusione su larga ...Marco Fioretti
L’attuale quadro legislativo e normativo europeo NON è affatto favorevole ai makers, o compatibile con la loro filosofia, perché è concepito, e rafforza, la rigida e totale separazione tra (grandi) aziende produttive da un lato, e meri consumatori dall’altro.
Questa è l'introduzione a un incontro in cui sono state presentate e discusse insieme a tutti i partecipanti alcune delle maggiori sfide legislative/normative che attenderanno i maker nei prossimi anni
Digital DIY for self-sustainability of rural areasMarco Fioretti
This is a talk at the 2015 Conference on "Sustainability of Rural Areas in Practice", that synthesizes a paper of the same title written by me and Wouter Tebbens for the Digital DIY project. Details and links at http://mfioretti.com/2015/12/nitra-digital-diy-for-self-sustainability-of-rural-areas/
Digital DIY: a social, cultural and economical phenomenonMarco Fioretti
a general introduction to the Digital DIY phenomenon, and how and why the DiDIY project intends to study it. Background and conference report at http://www.didiy.eu/blogs/didiy-fossa-2015-between-open-chairs-robots-and-worms
The European Unemployment Puzzle: implications from population agingGRAPE
We study the link between the evolving age structure of the working population and unemployment. We build a large new Keynesian OLG model with a realistic age structure, labor market frictions, sticky prices, and aggregate shocks. Once calibrated to the European economy, we quantify the extent to which demographic changes over the last three decades have contributed to the decline of the unemployment rate. Our findings yield important implications for the future evolution of unemployment given the anticipated further aging of the working population in Europe. We also quantify the implications for optimal monetary policy: lowering inflation volatility becomes less costly in terms of GDP and unemployment volatility, which hints that optimal monetary policy may be more hawkish in an aging society. Finally, our results also propose a partial reversal of the European-US unemployment puzzle due to the fact that the share of young workers is expected to remain robust in the US.
The Evolution of Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) in India: Challenges...beulahfernandes8
Role in Financial System
NBFCs are critical in bridging the financial inclusion gap.
They provide specialized financial services that cater to segments often neglected by traditional banks.
Economic Impact
NBFCs contribute significantly to India's GDP.
They support sectors like micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), housing finance, and personal loans.
Even tho Pi network is not listed on any exchange yet.
Buying/Selling or investing in pi network coins is highly possible through the help of vendors. You can buy from vendors[ buy directly from the pi network miners and resell it]. I will leave the telegram contact of my personal vendor.
@Pi_vendor_247
Exploring Abhay Bhutada’s Views After Poonawalla Fincorp’s Collaboration With...beulahfernandes8
The financial landscape in India has witnessed a significant development with the recent collaboration between Poonawalla Fincorp and IndusInd Bank.
The launch of the co-branded credit card, the IndusInd Bank Poonawalla Fincorp eLITE RuPay Platinum Credit Card, marks a major milestone for both entities.
This strategic move aims to redefine and elevate the banking experience for customers.
If you are looking for a pi coin investor. Then look no further because I have the right one he is a pi vendor (he buy and resell to whales in China). I met him on a crypto conference and ever since I and my friends have sold more than 10k pi coins to him And he bought all and still want more. I will drop his telegram handle below just send him a message.
@Pi_vendor_247
how to sell pi coins effectively (from 50 - 100k pi)DOT TECH
Anywhere in the world, including Africa, America, and Europe, you can sell Pi Network Coins online and receive cash through online payment options.
Pi has not yet been launched on any exchange because we are currently using the confined Mainnet. The planned launch date for Pi is June 28, 2026.
Reselling to investors who want to hold until the mainnet launch in 2026 is currently the sole way to sell.
Consequently, right now. All you need to do is select the right pi network provider.
Who is a pi merchant?
An individual who buys coins from miners on the pi network and resells them to investors hoping to hang onto them until the mainnet is launched is known as a pi merchant.
debuts.
I'll provide you the Telegram username
@Pi_vendor_247
What price will pi network be listed on exchangesDOT TECH
The rate at which pi will be listed is practically unknown. But due to speculations surrounding it the predicted rate is tends to be from 30$ — 50$.
So if you are interested in selling your pi network coins at a high rate tho. Or you can't wait till the mainnet launch in 2026. You can easily trade your pi coins with a merchant.
A merchant is someone who buys pi coins from miners and resell them to Investors looking forward to hold massive quantities till mainnet launch.
I will leave the telegram contact of my personal pi vendor to trade with.
@Pi_vendor_247
Poonawalla Fincorp and IndusInd Bank Introduce New Co-Branded Credit Cardnickysharmasucks
The unveiling of the IndusInd Bank Poonawalla Fincorp eLITE RuPay Platinum Credit Card marks a notable milestone in the Indian financial landscape, showcasing a successful partnership between two leading institutions, Poonawalla Fincorp and IndusInd Bank. This co-branded credit card not only offers users a plethora of benefits but also reflects a commitment to innovation and adaptation. With a focus on providing value-driven and customer-centric solutions, this launch represents more than just a new product—it signifies a step towards redefining the banking experience for millions. Promising convenience, rewards, and a touch of luxury in everyday financial transactions, this collaboration aims to cater to the evolving needs of customers and set new standards in the industry.
Empowering the Unbanked: The Vital Role of NBFCs in Promoting Financial Inclu...Vighnesh Shashtri
In India, financial inclusion remains a critical challenge, with a significant portion of the population still unbanked. Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) have emerged as key players in bridging this gap by providing financial services to those often overlooked by traditional banking institutions. This article delves into how NBFCs are fostering financial inclusion and empowering the unbanked.
Turin Startup Ecosystem 2024 - Ricerca sulle Startup e il Sistema dell'Innov...Quotidiano Piemontese
Turin Startup Ecosystem 2024
Una ricerca de il Club degli Investitori, in collaborazione con ToTeM Torino Tech Map e con il supporto della ESCP Business School e di Growth Capital
US Economic Outlook - Being Decided - M Capital Group August 2021.pdfpchutichetpong
The U.S. economy is continuing its impressive recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and not slowing down despite re-occurring bumps. The U.S. savings rate reached its highest ever recorded level at 34% in April 2020 and Americans seem ready to spend. The sectors that had been hurt the most by the pandemic specifically reduced consumer spending, like retail, leisure, hospitality, and travel, are now experiencing massive growth in revenue and job openings.
Could this growth lead to a “Roaring Twenties”? As quickly as the U.S. economy contracted, experiencing a 9.1% drop in economic output relative to the business cycle in Q2 2020, the largest in recorded history, it has rebounded beyond expectations. This surprising growth seems to be fueled by the U.S. government’s aggressive fiscal and monetary policies, and an increase in consumer spending as mobility restrictions are lifted. Unemployment rates between June 2020 and June 2021 decreased by 5.2%, while the demand for labor is increasing, coupled with increasing wages to incentivize Americans to rejoin the labor force. Schools and businesses are expected to fully reopen soon. In parallel, vaccination rates across the country and the world continue to rise, with full vaccination rates of 50% and 14.8% respectively.
However, it is not completely smooth sailing from here. According to M Capital Group, the main risks that threaten the continued growth of the U.S. economy are inflation, unsettled trade relations, and another wave of Covid-19 mutations that could shut down the world again. Have we learned from the past year of COVID-19 and adapted our economy accordingly?
“In order for the U.S. economy to continue growing, whether there is another wave or not, the U.S. needs to focus on diversifying supply chains, supporting business investment, and maintaining consumer spending,” says Grace Feeley, a research analyst at M Capital Group.
While the economic indicators are positive, the risks are coming closer to manifesting and threatening such growth. The new variants spreading throughout the world, Delta, Lambda, and Gamma, are vaccine-resistant and muddy the predictions made about the economy and health of the country. These variants bring back the feeling of uncertainty that has wreaked havoc not only on the stock market but the mindset of people around the world. MCG provides unique insight on how to mitigate these risks to possibly ensure a bright economic future.
US Economic Outlook - Being Decided - M Capital Group August 2021.pdf
Open file formats favour real innovation and really free markets
1. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
OpenDocument, OpenXML and the others
how file formats can be used to favor (or hamper)
innovation, active citizenship and really free markets
by Marco Fioretti
http://mfioretti.net
http://digifreedom.net
2. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Introduction
Basic concepts and definitions
Format wars in Science, Culture, Industry and Welfare
Formats in your private life
Paper or bits? Pros and cons of digital archives
Characteristics of open file formats
OpenDocument (ODF)
Office Open XML (OOXML)
Public support for open file formats
Conclusions
Seminar Agenda
3. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Marco Fioretti
Freelance writer, activist and teacher about open digital standards, Free Software,
digital technologies and the their relations and impact on education, ethics, civil
rights and environmental issues
Author of the Family Guide to Digital Freedom (http://digifreedom.net)
Member of:
OpenDocument Fellowship
Digistan.org
Eleutheros.it
RULE Project
Author introduction
4. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Purpose of the seminar
In general:
Explain what file formats really are
Explain why and how they impact on life and pockets of all citizens
Here at LEM:
Explain why file formats are relevant in a Laboratory studying “management
and corporate strategies, public choice and public policy, innovation and
industrial history”
Preamble (2)
5. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
What are file formats?
Why are they important?
How do they support (or limit) the way we all learn,
cooperate and work?
The answer starts right here in Pisa... four centuries ago!
Introduction to File Formats
6. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
How are we able to learn from the past?
ca 1600:
the great Pisan scientist Galileo Galilei proves
Aristotle was wrong, dropping two balls of different
weight from the leaning tower of Pisa. Is this a legend?
It doesn't matter.
2009:
What matters is that, four centuries later, we could still learn
physics from the ORIGINAL version of his work. Even if it had
been never been republished, the first edition is still completely
readable
7. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
The Dialogo is not a special case! Every great work of the past, from the Bible to
Newton's Principia and from Euclide's Elements to Shakespeare's plays, is equally
accessible
The cultural and economical benefits of this accessibility are obviously enormous
What is the first, most basic thing that makes this technically possible, and why is it so
important?
(Hint: it is not copyright, or lack thereof)
Does that thing still happens today?
If not, what is the price we are paying, and what can we do about it?
What impact can it have on the economy and job creation?
What, exactly, does Galileo's book teach us?
8. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Basic concepts and definitions
Q: How do we create, access and preserve information?
A: Thanks to three very different things:
Physical Support: the material object containing the information
Data Format: the rules by which the information is encoded on the support
User Interface: the tools used to write and read the data according to the format
almost always, Support, Format and Interface can (and should) be
independent from each other
9. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Support, Format, Interface: non electronic example
Interface
+
Any manual writing instrument
(don't forget quill and charcoal!)
and your eye!
Format
Hyeroglyphs (which could also
be written on paper, papyrus,
wood...) and the meanings
associated to each gliph
Support
The Rosetta
Stone,
II Century BC
10. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Support, Format, Interface: analog electronic example
Support Format
Support and format are mixed here: Photograms can only
be impressed on a specific type of tape, in a way not usable
with other cameras and projectors
Interface
Camera and Projector that are
useless with any other tape
NOTE: this is the very popular Super 8mm home movie format, released on the market in
1965 by Eastman Kodak, not widely used since the 1980's
11. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Support, Format, Interface: digital, finally!
Support
Hard drives, floppies, CD
ROMs, DVDs, Compact
Flash drives... usable with
different hardware
They all contain the same
bits that can represent
wildly different types of
information: text, images,
audio...
Format
CHARACTER ENCODING:
the meaning associated to each bit
sequence:
EX: “01000001” means “A”
FILE FORMAT:
how each piece of data can and
must be stored and marked:
<style:properties style:columnwidth="1.785cm"/>
...
<table:table
cell><text:p>600000</text:p></table:tablecell>
+
Interface
Any software program aware of
the file format, regardless of :
the hardware it runs on: x86 or Apple
computer, cell phone, DVD player,
remote server...
Its license of use
12. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Why is digital information good?
If all conceivable
kinds of
information (from
texts to music,
images and 3D
models) can be
represented as a
series of bits
We only need:
ONE class of generic storage devices: bit containers which can change shape and technology
without particular problems and are very cheap
ONE (ok, very large...) class of telecom networks, ie bit transporters
And all these data can be preserved or distributed with much less money, time and effort than before!
55 73 65 20 4f 70 65 6e 44 6f 63 75 6d 65 6e 74 21
13. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Why is digital information bad?
If all conceivable kinds of information (from texts to music, images and 3D models) can be represented as
bits sequences stored in bits containers, we have (at least) two big problems:
Bit containers are much more fragile than non-digital media: parchment lasts millennia, hard drives a few
years
This problem has a relatively easy solution (make many copies of information, refresh them
frequently) and is outside the scope of this seminar
The second problem is that, even when the container works perfectly, the sequences of bits are absolutely
useless if they are locked and we lose the key and cannot buy one:
W
ork
Culture
Private
life
Public
data
55 73 65 20 4f 70 65 6e 44 6f 63 75 6d 65 6e 74 21
14. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Why file formats are a powerful weapon
Almost all software programs are worthless without information to process, store and display. For example,
you could use a word processor to write letters or video editing suites to edit footage of your girlfriend at the
beach.
Never forget that here “information” means any kind of creative work: blog entries, private movies, essays,
government reports, court rulings, road projects, laws, contracts...
Sometimes, locking the information into some secret format is the easiest way to keep selling copies of a
program, without really improving it...
Sometimes it just happens because of ignorance and carelessness
...but in both cases, it can create lots of far-reaching problems
Let's see some examples...
15. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Format wars: Mars, 1976
July 20th, 1976:
the Viking Lander is the First
Spacecraft to Operate on
the Surface of Mars
2003
"All the programmers had died or left
NASA”
"It was hopeless to try to go back to
the original tapes”
“With the data in an unknown
format, [it was necessary] to track
down printouts and hire students to
retype everything”
(www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/01/21/tech/main537308.shtml)
16. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Format wars: the BBC images, 1986
In 1986 the British Broadcasting Corporation started a “computer-based collection of
photographs, writings and other snapshots of life”
In 2003 this digital gallery already needed customized software and unreliable
hardware
JPEG and other digital images are degraded every time that they are modified or
converted to other formats
Periodical format conversion has been compared to “preserving a Picasso by
repainting it every few years”
Solutions like ”imitating old platforms to run old software” are only temporary, not
scalable patches
SOURCE: www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/01/21/tech/main537308.shtml
17. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Format wars: Italy, 1992
1992: all the very complex equations for an Electromagnetic Compatibility thesis are written
with Expressionist from Maple Soft
1999: Expressionist is sold: "Maplesoft has sold the MathView and Expressionist product line
to Web Primitives, LLC... Technical Support for these products will be provided by
WebPrimitives ( http://www.livemath.com) effective June 25, 1999”
2005:the equations are still accessible... maybe...:
From LiveMath support personnel:
"MathEQ is presently available for Windows, Mac OSX and OS9 only. I've been told it will run under
Windows emulation.”
Exercise: run a poll in your University to discover how many of your current teachers and other
personnel is in the same situation today
18. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Format wars: Italy, 1994
1994: a spreadsheet is created
with the Wingz program (for
Solaris and MacIntosh)
Today that spreadsheet looks like this:
2005: (answer obtained from Usenet Newsgroups)
You should still be able to [download and compile by yourself] a copy of
Wingz for Linux or FreeBSD.
BUT: You may need some pretty old libraries, as I think it predates GLIBC 2, and so almost
certainly needs some way old versions of LIBC and Xlib. (Hey, the last binary release dates back to 1996! Lots of things have
changed!)...You'd probably have better luck running it on Debian [since it] has somewhat more useful "legacy" support.
19. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
The UK National Archives, which holds 900 years of written material, has
more than 580 terabytes of data in older file formats that are no longer
commercially available.
Chief Executive of The National Archives , Natalie Ceeney, said society faced
the possibility of "losing years of critical knowledge"
“some digital documents held by the National Archives had already been lost
forever because the programs which could read them no longer existed.”
“the issue of older file formats was a bigger problem than reading outdated
forms of media, such as floppy discs of various sizes and punch cards”.
"We are starting to find an awful lot of cases of what has been lost. What we
have got to make sure is that it doesn't get any worse."
Format wars 2007: time bomb at the UK National Archives
“The root cause of the problem is the range of proprietorial file formats that proliferated during the early digital revolution”.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6265976.stm
Test: how many other public archives are in the same situation?
20. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
“Due to ever-shifting platforms and file formats, much of the data we produce today could eventually
fall into a black hole of inaccessibility.”
How much data? “at last count, 369 exabytes worth of data, including electronic records, tax files, e-
mail, music and photos, for starters. (An exabyte is 1 quintillion bytes; a quintillion is the number 1
followed by 18 zeroes.)”
Losing these data would be like burning money “because we would lose the huge economic
investment [governments], libraries and archives have made digitizing materials to make them
accessible”
“Software companies have seen the benefits of locking people into a platform and have been very
resistant to change”
Source: interview to Jerome P. McDonough, assistant professor in the Graduate School of Library and
Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, October 2008
(http://news.illinois.edu/news/08/1027data.html)
Format wars 2008: the most expensive (digital) Black Hole
21. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Format wars 2009: behind the curtains of Digital Tv
(synthesis of a conversation with a TV broadcast professional)
The format used where I work for all video editing is MXF (www.digitalpreservation.gov/formats/
fdd/fdd000013.shtml)
This is a container file format. Inside it there are a video essence, audio tracks and assorted
metadata
The video essence is always the same (DvCam 4:2:0)
Metadata and indexing information is different for every vendor (even inside the same
standard!)
Specs of the AVID version (OP-1) are available
Those of Sony's aren't. Even differents Sony productshave incompatible formats
Most video capture equipment is Sony
Most video editing software is Avid, which doesn't recognize Sony's MXF unless you
purchase an expensive plugin
Things seemed better a couple of years ago, thanks to the OMF initiative. The passage to
MXF, which locks our video, happened just when Open Source alternatives were finally
becoming viable
= Sony?,
No, Sorry!
$$$!!!
22. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Computer Aided Design (CAD) has been THE way to design or model
complex any kind of 3D products for decades
One of the most popular CAD products is Autocad from Autodesk:
AutoCAD is found in 85% of the businesses and schools that design,
document and manufacture.. it is used in architecture, interior design, shop
fit-outs, construction, engineering, landscape design, product design and
manufacture, naval and aeronautical design, piping and cabling...
Format wars: Autocad vs Engineering
Source: www.jidaw.com/certarticles/autocadcareer.html and www.wikinvest.com/stock/Autodesk_(ADSK))
23. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
In the 1990’s, more than two billions private and public projects (mechanical parts, furniture, buildings,
bridges...) were already stored in the DWG file format of AutoCAD
In 1998, several competitors launched cheaper products based on an equivalent format
AutoDesk’s advertising campaign focused on reminding that only AutoDesk’s products were 100% capable of
keeping existing projects completely accessible
Besides the cost, the Autodesk software for reading, writing, and displaying DWG files:
came under a "selective licensing" program
supported the writing of only the most recent versions of AutoCAD DWG
had no public specification that would permit independent development
Source: www.opendesign.com/about/whtpaper/whynot.htm from the Open Design Alliance
Update 2009: “we have exactly these problems with DWG, and the Open Design Alliance does not help, because their DWG toolkit
is not open source, they have restrictive licensing terms and better terms are not affordable for us” Source: Benjamin Ducke, Oxford
Archaeology Consultant
Format wars: Autocad vs Engineering (2)
24. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
“AutoCAD DWG and DXF formats change with every new release.
Both are extremely complex, containing the actual drawings plus
the whole layer structure and all attributes; and only AutoDesk's
own software can handle them perfectly well. This means we can
forget about teamwork, sharing or archiving our CAD data
(usually archaeological site plans) in the long term.
This also makes our migration from GIS to CAD extremely hard.
Many GIS nowadays offer some level of DXF support, but I have
never seen one that could read more than 20-30% of our CAD
files”.
Source: B. Ducke
Format wars: Autocad vs Engineering (3)
25. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
"Who controls the map controls how people perceive the
world" ("Mapping Hacks",O'Reilly)
Geographic Information System (GIS) are software systems
for creation, correlation, display and interactive analysis of
geography-related data.
GIS link generic data to (or through) real places.
Format wars: the GIS world
GIS make it much easier and less expensive to:
find all the data which share a location, or
which objects or statistical phaenomena in a region are closer to which others
find how very different, apparently unrelated classes of events influence each other when they happen close to each other
“[In November 2006], global market size of GIS products arrives at US$1 billion. Business revenue brought by GIS-
related software, hardware and service reaches US$ 10 billion each year”.
(www.ccwresearch.com.cn/en/research_text.asp?articleId=13937&Columnid=1008)
26. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Practically all open source GIS at least save to a plain ASCII or XML file, so it's easy to write converters
Many organizations (including academic institutions which get big discounts on license prices) demand project files in the proprietary,
binary ESRI formats (MXD) from their GIS partners.
The result: “ESRI has managed to lock that market segment, plus anything that depends on it, into their MXD format. ESRI software
can read those files, but offers no freely available conversion facilities for MXD whatsoever, forcing anybody willing to use other
software to manually recreate GIS projects, layer by layer”
ESRI MXD ArcView project files:
the actual GIS data formats, such as ESRI Shapefiles, GeoTIFF etc. are well-documented, but...
a GIS project is more than just the plain data: styling map layers, arranging and producing map layouts etc.
inside ESRI MXD project file, all these extra data are saved in a proprietary format
ESRI Geodatabase:
“ESRI uses the Microsoft Access MDB container format as a Geodatabase, inaccessible for just about any free GIS out there.
ESRI itself is now dropping this format due to its limits (max size 2 gigs!), but for a completely new GeoDB format (of course,
proprietary again): all those who converted their Shapefiles to MDB Geodatabases should start all over!”
(source: B. Ducke)
ArcView 3.X saved project files as plain ASCII and the new ArcView 8.X line had built-in support to convert to ArcView 3.X.
“ESRI must have seen that this would provide a bridge for users to break out of the MXD lock and has removed the
converter in recent versions...”
(source: B. Ducke)
Format wars: the GIS world (2)
27. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Drainage networks and associated drainage basins
form complex functional entities not only for
hydrological processes but also for environmental
processes at large... JRC's Catchment
Characterisation and Modelling (CCM) activity
responded to this need through the development of a
pan-European database of river networks and
catchments...
Format wars: an example from the GIS world
...CCM data are made freely available for non-commercial use at:
http://desert.jrc.ec.europa.eu/action/php/index.php?action=view&id=23
Unfortunately, this very useful, high-quality data created with taxpayer money is
locked down in an ArcGIS Personal Geodatabase. Why?
28. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Formats wars in archeology and other research fields
Some reasons why [archeologists] should be enthusiastic about FOSS
...
Archivability: Stable and long-lived data formats; free and open standards instead of
“industry” standards; no pressure to deprecate older software or data formats.
Problems with commercially licensed software [in our company]
...
Hard to archive: a new file format every year means constant pressure to upgrade
and convert
Source:
Benjamin Ducke, Senior Geospatial Consultant at Oxford Archaeology (oadigital.net)
"Use of GIS in Archaeological Settlement Research - Facts, Problems and Challenges"
Workshop of the Romano-Germanic Commission of the German Archaeological Institute, Frankfurt, September 26th 2008
ftp://88.208.250.116/ducke-frankfurt-foss-gis-arch.pdf
29. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has begun an £8bn project to
dismantle 26 atomic reactors used for research, and bury the waste in concrete
bunkers
It is necessary to preserve information about the bunkers and how to manage
them for all the time that those waste will be dangerous: millennia
the UKAEA, assuming that the software and hardware used to store any
supporting documentation will not last that long, was forced to look for a
better alternative
(note that they confused software, hardware and... formats all together...)
So they choose the closest thing we've got to... Egyptian Papyrus. Permanent
paper is equally acid free, so won't discolour, or rot over the years
(nuclear) Format wars: Great Britain, 2005
Conclusion: 423 documents for a total of 11,718 sheets of paper will be kept in special copperimpregnated bags, and packed in longlife
archive boxes
So much for the benefits of the Digital Age...
SOURCE: www.theregister.co.uk/2005/08/09/papyrus_nuclear_waste/
30. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Traditional book formats: only one, that is paper, ink and alphabet
Number of ebook formats, as of 2009/02/10, according to
http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Ebook_formats: about ~40!
Many popular ones, like LRF (Sony) or Amazon (AZW) are proprietary
There are open formats like OPF (Open Publication Format) but:
“[they are] not meant to be delivered to the reading device of the customer.
The OPF publication must first be compiled into a binary eBook.”
(www.mobipocket.com/dev/article.asp?BaseFolder=prcgen&File=mobiformat.htm)
Format wars: can you read your own e-books?
Being forced to worry about compatibility between a book and your way to read it is like
having to worry if the paper books on your bookshelf will still be readable if you change
your brand of glasses
Why does this happen? Because...
"The Consumer Electronics Association estimates that 538,000 ereaders were shipped in 2008, reflecting $154 million in
revenues and 235% growth over 2007... Citigroup analysts... project Kindlerelated revenues to reach $1.2 billion in 2010"
(http://money.cnn.com/2009/02/06/technology/ebooks.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2009020612)
The Amazon Kindle and Sony e-book readers
31. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
December 2008: Goodbye Mr President
December 2008: The National Archives has put into effect an emergency plan to handle 100 terabytes of
electronic records from the Bush White House, that is 50 times as much as was left by Clinton in 2001
The collection will include top-secret e-mail tracing plans for the Iraq.
The transition poses “unique challenges” because of the huge volume of electronic records, some of
them in “formats not previously dealt with.”
The archives said it had “a high level of confidence” that it could bring the e-mail into its electronic record-keeping system and
retrieve messages in response to requests from Congress and the courts.
Thomas S. Blanton, director of the nonprofit National Security Archive, a plaintiff in several lawsuits seeking Bush
administration records, said the National Archives’ track record did not justify such a claim. “Their confidence is inexplicable,”
Mr. Blanton said.
Source: www.nytimes.com/2008/12/27/washington/27archives.html
32. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
From: Virginia State Laws on Optical Images (www.archiveindex.com/laws/lawva.htm):
About “Public Records For Permanent Retention”:
Electronic records are not acceptable for permanent storage at this time. The Library of
Virginia can not be responsible for maintaining the necessary hardware and software
necessary
The Library of Virginia cannot accept records for permanent storage on digital media at this
time due to the lack of hardware and software standards
Electronic records identified as permanent... must be converted to archival quality microfilm
or alkaline paper before being transferred to the Library
But this is much more expensive and means no electronic indexing and no other
benefit of the digital age (like Internet access to data, copies at almost null cost...)
...and without any guarantee that microfilms will be readable, without preserving special
hardware
Format wars: our public archives
33. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are patient's medical history in
digital format, which help doctors to make the best decision for your
health in the fastest and cheapest way possible.
2008: The administration proposes to invest $10 billion a year for five
years in order to "move the U.S. health care system to broad adoption
of standards-based electronic health information systems, including
EHR." Success in this endeavor could save up to $77 billion in annual
health care costs” (from Barack Obama's Obama technology and
innovation platform)
But only if all invoved data formats are all 100% open!
Main involved organizations:
Health Information Technology Standards Panel (www.ansi.org/hitsp/)
Health Level 7 (HL7, www.hl7.org/)
European Institute for Health Records (www.eurorec.org)
openEHR Foundation
(www.openehr.org/home.html)
Source:www.consortiuminfo.org/bulletins/dec08.php
Format wars: did you have heart surgery or not?
Image Sources:
www.infocamere.it/osservatorio.htm,
www.infocamere.it/doc/denardi.ppt
34. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Formas in your life: I shot a wonderful movie, but where is it?
The .TOD video file format was created by JVC, to be used by their high-
definition camcorder range (I.E JVC Everio).
Comments from several users, October 2008:
#1 HELP! I'm desperately trying to find a way to convert .TOD files so I
can edit them in adobe premiere pro 1.5, but nothing seems to work.
Renaming files doesn't work, neither converting them to .AVI ...
#2 How can I convert my video to something more compatible with
common video editing applications?
Source: http://dotwhat.net/tod/8934/
What about the Panasonic SDR-H60?
January 2009:"The camcorder itself worked well, [but] records in some
funky proprietary format that is not compatible with software editing
programs other than the clunky one it comes with... In the end, I
returned the camcorder... and plan to purchase a different make/model.
Source: http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-camcorders/panasonic-sdr-
h60/4864-6500_7-32815213-2.html
35. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
The .IPD (Inter@ctive Pager Backup) file contains Blackberry backup data, be it
your emails, calendar or even the configuration data.
This format was designed for backups and restores only, and was not intended to
be accessed [directly]... at the time of writing, the only software application that
will let you do this is ProcessText Group's "ABC Amber BlackBerry Converter"
which is free to try for 30 days and then $19.95 to purchase a single user licence.
Formats in your life: Smartphones and PDAs
Effects:
User #1: “Blackberry file copied in .ipd. This was listing of all phone numbers. I retired from company. I have on
CD and can not open with home computer”
User #2: ”how do i open .ipd files? trying to view address book, etc”
User #3: “I backed up my blackberry with BB Deskyop Managr and it is in a .ipd file and I can not open it. Is there a
way to open and view this file? Please help.”
Many other similar questions got no answers
Source: http://dotwhat.net/ipd/853/
36. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Formats in your life: look at my pictures! No, wait...
JPEG is an open file format for digital pictures: ubiquitous, but slightly degraded, due
to compression. Editing a JPEG file degrades it even more.
Many digital cameras can save pictures in their raw format: a complete, untranslated
copy to file of all the light signals (color, intensity etc...) which hit every single pixel of
the camera sensor
Raw is the format which gives the highest possible image quality, much better
than JPEG
Raw is to JPEG what word processing files are to PDF: if you want to obtain a
different PDFversion without any degradation, you must have an OpenDocument
original to modify, and generate a new PDF from that
Archiving pictures in raw format gives the highest guarantees to be able to
process them in new ways in the future
Picture samples from www.oss-watch.ac.uk/resources/photo-files.xml
JPEG
RAW
37. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Formats in your life: look at my pictures! No, wait... (2)
The risks of raw formats:
Hundreds of raw formats already exist
Some of them were at least partially encrypted
“No one can predict how long a particular RAW file will be supported by a
camera manufacturer (not even the company itself)” (www.openraw.org/info/)
The solution?
“Open documentation of all RAW file formats by manufacturers is the
quickest and most satisfactory way for OpenRAW's goals to be reached”,
(www.openraw.org/info/)
The Open Source dcraw format decoder at
www.cybercom.net/~dcoffin/dcraw/
The Adobe Digital Negative standard (www.adobe.com/products/dng/)?
Cfr “DNG is not the answer” at http://www.openraw.org/node/1482
JPEG
RAW
38. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Formats in your life: you got mail, can you also read it?
The .pst (Personal Storage Table) file format
used by Microsoft Outlook is proprietary.
(and so is the dbx format used by Outlook Express)
It is “a database file format”, recording also
searches and sort procedures.
“These design decisions reflect the core
architecture of Outlook and Messaging
Application Programming Interface (MAPI)”.
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/269520)
Ways to use it with other software exist, but why go for unnecessary complications?
39. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Formats in your life 2.0: Social Networking
Test: all those who know what is the format in
which Facebook stores their own data about
their own lives... please raise your hands!
In the meantime:
Join the group “Are there 100,000 people for open data in Facebook?”
www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7935290927
Take your Facebook Data with you! www.chrisfinke.com/2008/01/03/takeyourfacebookdatawithyou/
Read about Social Network Data Portability
http://mastersofmedia.hum.uva.nl/2008/12/06/facebookconnectopenidtheformatwarforyouridentity/
Check out the status of any other social network or web service you use
“Mark Zuckerberg has committed Facebook to opening up its data... But we have no timetable...”
40. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
The costs of not using digital documents
June 2007, Italy:
“the amount of costs and suboptimal procedures related to
management of paper documents is around 3 and 5% of GNP, with
an end impact on the national system which can be estimated from
42 to 70 billions of Euro”
“adoption of digital documents makes it possible to save from 50 to
90%, depending on the service”
Sources:
www.cameradicommercio.it/cdc/id_pagina/26/id_tema/x/id_cp/11/id_ui/1432/id
_prov/x/id_ateco/x/t_p/Osservatorio-permanente-sul-documento-digitale.htm
www.infocamere.it/osservatorio.htm
41. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
From the report “Comparing Preservation Strategies and Practices for Electronic Records,
2000” (www.rlg.org/en/page.php?Page_ID=245)
DEFINITION: Preservation of digital information is not so much about protecting physical objects as
about specifying the creation and maintenance of intangible electronic files whose intellectual integrity is
their primary characteristic.
The study was conducted on behalf of the Preservation Task Force of the International Research on
Permanent Authentic Records in Electronic Systems (InterPARES Project)
Goal: find the cost for institutions to preserve, maintain, and access electronic records
Only a few [organizations] were far enough along to have developed cost figures
The interviewees ranged from large national archives, to projects developing testbeds
The range of [total] costs for electronic record preservation is from $10,000 $2.6 million
per year [per organization...]
The cost of preserving digital documents
42. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
How much time does an organization have to detect and fix any format-related problem that may cause data loss?
Until now, even if many people don't realize it, this time has been scaringly short:
“What does 'long-term' mean in the context of Digital Preservation? 1. "five years or more"!!!!
(www.digitalpreservationeurope.eu/what-is-digital-preservation/index.php#07)
“Digital information lasts forever—or five years, whichever comes first”
(Jeff Rothenberg, 1995, in “Ensuring the Longevity of Digital Information”,www.clir.org/pubs/archives/ensuring.pdf)
This mainly happened because of ignorance among end users, starting from Public Administrations
As the previous examples prove, we have only started to realize the true cost of such ignorance, and many data may
be already lost forever
Luckily, today we have both the consciousness and the tools to stop repeating these errors
How long is a long term?
43. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Long answer: NO!
Yes, today, formats (mixed with patents and bogus “encryption” schemes) are still
used, in some cases, to restrict access and copying
but open formats are NOT an attack to content creators, or to copyright in general.
This is a different problem!
Are open file formats against copyright?
Demonstration: Have you noticed that all the first victims in all the Format Wars that we
have just mentioned... are the copyright holders?
Discussing copyright only makes sense if, initially, the content was under full control ol of
its author, or whoever paid for its production. If your information can be fully accessed
only with one program by one single vendor, it's not really yours...
...and any further discussion on who “holds” the “right to copy” is just meaningless!
44. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
“Minimal characteristics that a specification and its attendant documents must have in order to
be considered an open standard:
● The standard is adopted and will be maintained by a notforprofit organization, and its
ongoing development occurs on the basis of an open decisionmaking procedure available to all
interested parties (consensus or majority decision etc.).
● The standard has been published and the standard specification document is available either
freely or at a nominal charge. It must be permissible to all to copy, distribute and use it for no fee
or at a nominal fee.
● The intellectual property – i.e. patents possibly present – of (parts of) the standard is made
irrevocably available on a royaltyfree basis.
● There are no constraints on the reuse of the standard”
When is a file format standard really open?
SOURCE: European Interoperability Framework for PanEuropean eGovernment Services v.
1.0, November, 2004 (http://xml.coverpages.org/IDAEIFFinal10.pdf)
45. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
In binary formats, all information is stored in more or less arbitrary bit sequences
Minimum size, maximum reverse engineering difficulty
XML = eXtensible Markup Language
Designed to make it easy to exchange information rather than locking it.
XML files are in a plain (Unicode!) text format similar to HTML
Takes more space and CPU time to be stored and process than binary data, but:
Compressing the final file recovers disc space and bandwidth
(Above all) has still huge advantages for developers and, ultimately, end users
Reverseengineering is much easier, compared with binary formats: data can be generated or processed with any
existing textprocessing tools, starting from those known and improved on since the '70s
By itself, an XML is no more or less proprietary or open than binary formats.
Its full benefits are only available when it’s open in the sense previously explained
What is XML, and why is it important?
46. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
An XML-based file format specification for texts, presentation and spreadsheets
The solution to the problem created by Microsoft's .doc, .ppt and .xls formats (including OOXml)
Developed to solve, in the office documents space, all the problems listed so far
Formally approved as standard ISO/IEC 26300:2006
From the end users point of view, be they individual or whole nations, this guarantees
that OpenDocument is not a one man, thoroughly undocumented hack that may disappear overnight.
Already usable on all operating system with OpenOffice.org and many other programs
(cfr www.opendocumentfellowship.com/applications)
Freely usable by anyone, without patents, royalties or other restrictions
(www.oasis-open.org/committees/office/ipr.php)
What is OpenDocument?
47. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Every OpenDocument file is simply a compressed Zip folder containing various elements
Some of them are listed here:
OpenDocument format internals
content.xml
the actual textual content of the
document.Complex XML
markup, but still readable by
humans
meta.xml
Metadata like Author
name, Word count,
Language, Date of last
modification, etc
styles.xml
Style information like like
font size, colour, page
widthfor pages, characters,
paragraphs...
Separate folders for binary
objects
●Images
●Macros
●....
More detailed overview: http://opendocumentfellowship.org/Articles/IntroductionToTheFormatInternals
Official Specification: www.oasis-open.org/committees/download.php/12572/OpenDocument-v1.0-os.pdf
48. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Storing all content and metadata as plain (UNICODE) text guarantees full readability, to the point that
files could be edited and restored manually. No locks or secrets!
The ZIP archive structure guarantees complete and easy separation of:
Content
Visual presentation
User configuration
Binary objects
Therefore, each of these elements can be automatically generated, modified, indexed or (for binary
objects) scanned for viruses in a very efficient and clean way
Existing standards reused whenever possible, to speed up development and adoption
Above all: complete specification available and usable without any restriction
OpenDocument advantages
49. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Thesis: “Reverseengineering is much easier, compared with binary formats: data can be generated or
processed with any existing textprocessing tools, starting from those known and improved on since the '70s”
What is XML, and why is it important? (2)
Proof: creating different versions of the same, dynamic OpenDocument spreadsheet, with different data but
automatically updated formulas and graphs, takes less than 100 lines of scripting, very little study of the format
itself, no sw license fees.
Why update files manually,
when the right file format
lets your computer
do it for you?
50. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
PDF
It is a read-only picture of the printed version of a document
Made for presentation, not for structured, editable information
Many metadata (revision info, formulas...) are lost
Why not use PDF or RTF?
RTF
Belongs to Microsoft, that can change it (or its license) without notice or
permission
While editable, it is not XML, so it cannot be processed and analyzed as
efficiently as the latter
51. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Long answer: yes, why not?
Remember: formats are (must be) independent from the software interfaces used to create and access
information
The more ubiquitous OpenDocument becomes, the safer your data are!
Can ODF be used in Microsoft Office today? Yes (I think):
May 2008: "Microsoft Expands List of Formats Supported in Microsoft Office"
(www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2008/may08/05-21ExpandedFormatsPR.mspx)
Sun ODF Plugin for Microsoft Office at www.sun.com/software/star/odf_plugin/
OpenXML/ODF Translator at http://odf-converter.sourceforge.net
In practice, it depends on the type of file (text, presentations, spreadsheets) and how many other pieces of
proprietary technology end up into an ODF file (macros?)
Could OpenDocument be used also by Microsoft?
52. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
ZIP-compressed archive of a number of files, describing content, metadata, styles, etc
The separation into different files is not as clean as with OpenDocument
Components are separated and linked according to Microsoft's Open Packaging Convention: another
proprietary standard you must license in order to use the format
OOXML Hyperlink example (the hyperlink value is stored in a completely separate file):
<w:hyperlink w:rel="rId1" w:history="1"><w:r><w:t>This is a hyperlink</w:t></w:r></w:hyperlink>
OpenDocument equivalent ( hyperlink is immediately accessible):
<text:a xlink:type="simple" xlink:href="http://example.com">This is a hyperlink</text:a>
The direct competitor: Microsoft Office OpenXML
53. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
OOXML is so complex (+6000 pages) that it would take years to support it completely in any
other application different from Microsoft Office:
“OOXML... has been narrowly crafted to accommodate a single vendor's applications.
Its extreme length... stems from it having detailed every wart of MS Office in an
inextensible, inflexible manner. This is not a specification; this is a DNA sequence”
“The whole job [of creating an OOXML converter from scratch for Mac Word] is
roughly 20 man-years of development time. That doesn’t include testing,
documentation, or localization. That would probably double the number of man-years,
at least. But... is just for Word. We need additional teams for Excel and PowerPoint”.
Sources: www.robweir.com/blog/2006/01/how-to-hire-guillaume-portes.html
http://blogs.adobe.com/shebanation/2006/12/open_xml_one-way.html
Microsoft Office OpenXML (2)
54. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
In 2008, even OOXML has been accepted as ISO standard (a mandatory requirement in government tenders):
Why approve two standards for the same thing?
The ratification process has raised objections and critiques never seen before in ISO
“an unprecedented twenty countries have responded during the contradictions phase - most or all lodging formal
contradictions with Joint Technical Committee 1 (JTC), the ISO/IEC body that is managing the Fast Track process under
which OOXML (now Ecma 376) has been submitted. This may not only be the largest number of countries that have ever
submitted contradictions in the ISO/IEC process, but nineteen responses is greater than the total number of national bodies that
often bother to vote on a proposed standard at all.”
“During the Ballot Resolution Meeting, most of ECMA's responses to problems in the specification were approved collectively
without discussion”.
“India, Brazil, South Africa and Venezuela filed for an appeal, citing insufficient review time and procedural irregularities”.
Sources:
www.consortiuminfo.org/standardsblog/article.php?story=20070206145620473
http://arstechnica.com/old/content/2008/05/ooxml-revolt-brewing-three-countries-appeal-iso-approval.ars
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080302-xml-spec-editor-ooxml-iso-process-is-unadulterated-bs.html
http://arstechnica.com/old/content/2008/10/norwegian-standards-body-implodes-over-ooxml-controversy.ars
Microsoft Office OpenXML (3)
55. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Can all competitors use Microsoft’s 6000 pages format? Maybe:
Microsoft XML uses proprietary XML schemas
Only the license to use the software necessary to implement them is specified
Microsoft remains free to require a separate license to use the schemas.
License requirement might preclude any program that uses the file formats from being used in open-source software
Such discrimination is unacceptable, against customer interest and the policies of many Public Administrations
There is no commitment to delivering any future changes to the schemas or right to develop software implementing
them under the same or more liberal license
Sources: www.groklaw.net/staticpages/index.php?page=20050331183622861#A4, www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1829728,00.asp
Above all, why bother? "ODF has clearly won", says Stuart McKee, Microsoft Technology Officer,
www.infoworld.com/article/08/06/19/Red_Hat_Summit_panel_Who_won_OOXML_battle_1.html
Microsoft Office OpenXML (4): why bother?
56. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Today, given the present status of things:
there is no reason to ever save or distribute in MS Office 2007 or OOXML formats:
completely new documents or
newer, modified versions of existing documents
Please do not use such formats and demand that your schools and Public Administrations never use,
require or accept them
Things may be different when it comes to preserving already existing documents that:
Are only available in older, undocumented Microsoft binary formats
Must remain completely (metadata, formulas, revision info...) accessible in the future, without any loss, even
when no current software will support the original format anymore
Are only needed as reference, not for distribution
These are all cases where OOXML is, very likely, a better solution than ODF
When is OOXML acceptable?
57. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
ODF and other “container” type formats (cfr MXF) have one “weakness”:
They can contain many different types of objects:
Macros, metadata, images and other multimedia content, digital signatures...
...which may very well be proprietary!
A file format specification could never, and must not, put limits on the characteristics of any object
that may be embedded in the main file
Especially when the discriminating factor is a legal, not technical one!
The only possible solution is at another level, through “OpenFile” registered marks and/or
policies
To know more, please read http://robertogaloppini.net/2007/04/01/file-format-hidden-traps-in-opendocument-or-any-
other-open-standard-and-how-to-avoid-them/
Is it enough to say “OpenDocument”? Maybe not
58. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
While Microsoft tries to fight OpenDocument with OOXML, China is developing its own home-grown
open document format standard, called UOF (Unified Office Format):
“ China has embarked upon a very aggressive state-sponsored, and state funded, standards strategy...
...China has evolved a two-pronged approach: use western standards with abandon, when they can be
implemented for free, and develop its own standards in select, high volume areas, such as wireless
technology, 3G telephones – and office suite formats - when they can't. UOF was adopted as a Chinese
National Standard in May of this year, and implementers will need to obtain a license to multiple Chinese
patents in order to implement it”.
Source: http://consortiuminfo.org/standardsblog/article.php?story=20070817070419313
Format Wars 2007: meanwhile, China...
59. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Norway: "Proprietary formats will no longer be acceptable in communication between citizens and government"
(www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2138935/norwaygovernmentopensource)
Extremadura, Spain: “ODF will be the standard format in public administration and in schools”
Massachusetts, USA: “As of January 2007, all software procured by the executive branch of the U.S.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts must be able to read and write OpenDocument files. In addition, all internal
documents will be stored in OpenDocument format”
European Union: “Dr. Barbara Held, Enterprise and Industry Directorate-General of the European Commission
Program... stated, "In the view of the European administrations and Member States, the ODF standard is at the very top
of the pile by far from all other proposed open standards”
For details and many, many more cases, please read:
www.odfalliance.org/resources/Annual-Report-ODF-2008.pdf
www.opendocumentfellowship.com/government/precedent
Open formats for Open States: some examples
60. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
2002:
Sen. Fiorello Cortiana presents a law proposal mandating that all public administration only use Free software
and publish their documents only in non proprietary formats (www.senato.it/leg/14/BGT/Schede/Ddliter/16976.htm)
On. Pietro Folena proposes similar regulations to promote IT pluralism and incentivate the diffusion of Free
Software (www.senato.it/leg/14/BGT/Schede/Ddliter/17207.htm)
2003:
Minister for Innovation and Technologies Stanca announces a directive stating that public Administrations shall
privilege IT solutions which, among other things, can export data and document in at least one open format
www.innovazione.gov.it/ita/comunicati/2003_10_29.shtm
2007: ODF officially ratified by UNI (Italian Unification Organization)
l
Open formats for Open States: Italy
61. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Emilia Romagna regional law n. 11, May 24th 2004:
Art. 5: “In order to guarantee to all citizens the greatest freedom to access public information, the Region actively promotes the
usage of electronic file formats and databases in non proprietary formats”
Toscana regional law n. 1, January 26th 2004:
Art. 4: “[The principia and guidelines for all e-governments actions include] the usage, with respect to information which
must be made publicly available, of open standards and file formats”
(www.cesda.it/quadernidae/pdf/Pietrangelo_DAE2004.pdf)
Province of Pisa, November 7th, 2005:
“The Province of Pisa decided to implement an office automation system able to convert its documents to open formats, in
order to allow its employees and also other Administrations and end users to convert their files in open formats”
( www.salpa.pisa.it/salpa/cda/templates/detail_it.jsp?OTYPE_ID=2101&ID=220068)
Veneto Regional Law, December 2008:
“this law declares that no technical or legal (patents, licenses or trademarks) restriction on usage of digital
archives admissible ” (http://lucamenini.wordpress.com/2008/12/03/la-regione-veneto-approva-una-legge-per-il-pluralismo-
informatico/)
Open formats for Open States: Italy (2)
62. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Conclusions: first, some slogans
Technology is legislation (uncertain source)
Your own civil rights and the quality of your own life heavily depend on how
software is used around you (M. Fioretti at http://digifreedom.net)
Open formats make history - and maintain it
(G. Markham, http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,9075-1831039,00.html)
If computer programs are pens, then think of file formats as alphabets...
OpenDocument is the digital version of our alphabets.
(M. Fioretti, Everybody's Guide to OpenDocument, www.linuxjournal.com/article/8616)
63. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Conclusions: what have we learned?
Very often, data are the only reason to use software, not viceversa. Software comes after data and is
at their service. The reverse can only give troubles
Software producers may certainly claim rights on their programs, but there is no doubt that the data
and metadata we produce or manage with those programs are only ours!
Until now, file formats have been used by software producers to grant unfair advantages for
themselves over their competitors and keep prices high without real justification
There are at least three explicit examples of this practice in this seminar:
the Autocad advertising campaign
The two declarations (about MXF and ESRI files) that plain text formats and conversion filters were removed, or
incompatible metadata were added, only when Free/Open Source Software had started to become a viable alternative
Incidentally, what better proof than this behavior could you find that, in those field, FOSS may be a
viable alternative today if it weren't for data already locked in proprietary formats?
64. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Conclusions: what have we learned?
The only way to guarantee that our data remain ours is to store them in file formats which
are independent from any single software product
In and by itself, Free/Open Source software is not a solution: many files in the examples
above are lost not because of software licenses, but simply because:
Programmers didn't bother to leave any format documentation
End users didn't bother to demand it
Only formats which are not only “Free as in Freedom” but also fully documented and
officially maintained by a reliable, not-for-profit organization give real guarantees
65. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Conclusions: what else have we learned?
In many cases, the less formats there are for one specific task, the better.
Any conversion carries risks of data loss or degradation
This, too, is true regardless of software licenses: why should two programs which must not
compete for market share represent the same data in different ways? The fact that you can
write converters among Free Sw programs doesn't mean that it is a smart thing to create such
a need (cfr http://digifreedom.net/node/56)
Why is it so important to demand that file formats are managed properly?
Because it's a terribly serious problem, which has already wasted huge amounts of public
money and damages public culture, services and education as well as our private lives
Because, unlike pension systems, health care, public education or transportation, it has a
solution which is much quicker and cheaper to define and implement, so it makes much less
sense to wait.
66. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Conclusions: personal and public best practices
Never, ever use a file format unless you are sure that you can reuse its content with other software
Never buy goods and services which put your data in digital formats you can't fully reuse with
any software outside of those goods or services
Don't be fooled by shiny new software features, if they impact on formats: “as long as innovation
only impacts on software features, problems are unlikely, but saving our data in a new, scarcely
documented format which only a few programs can read can be a real disaster!” (Stefano Costa,
Open Archeology, www.iosa.it)
Demand that your Public Administrations do all of the above!
67. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Useful Resources
OpenDocument Fellowship
www.opendocumentfellowship.com
ODF vs OOXML: War of the Words
www.consortiuminfo.org/standardsblog/index.php?topic=20071125145019553
Digital Preservation Tutorial
www.icpsr.umich.edu/dpm/dpm-eng/oldmedia/obsolescence1.html
Sustainability of Digital Formats – Format Descriptions
www.digitalpreservation.gov/formats/fdd/descriptions.shtml
68. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
Relevant initiatives
Please participate to
Document Freedom Day 2009!
www.documentfreedom.org
Join the Database of Digitally Free Schools at
http://digifreedom.net/node/55
69. Marco Fioretti (marco@digifreedom.net) 2009/02/12 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,
http://mfioretti.net Pisa - LEM Seminar Series
http://digifreedom.net Some Rights Reserved
The end!
I always welcome feedback, further material on these topics and occasions to discuss
them!
Please don't hesitate to come back with questions, suggestions, etc...
For contact information, please see http://mfioretti.net
Please go back home and convert all your files to open formats tonight!
Thanks for your time!
Marco Fioretti