[Gulli] Minerva Project - Open Format version

[Carlo ROATTA]

Dear Sirs,

I have read your interesting page on "Education and Training - the
Minerva Action".

> 1. http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/programmes/socrates/minerva/action_en.html

As european citizen, I am proud our Public Agencies are involved to
improve "Information and Communications Technology" awareness among
Europeans.
Unfortunately, the presentation you offer to the public is in a
close-format version:

> 2. Minerva (PowerPointPresentation).
>    http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/programmes/socrates/minerva/pptpres/siteminerva.ppt


I admit to be quite surprised to realize how a proprietary software
(PowerPoint) is suggested to the user, in order to read a document that
is produced by *public Agencies* with *public funds*.

I am even astonished to remark how this bad suggestion is proposed by
the same European Union that is promoting recommendations on open
document format. Just see:

> 3. IDA promotes the use of open document formats for e-government interoperability
>    http://europa.eu.int/idabc/en/document/3197
> 
> 4. Documentation on the Promotion of Open Document Exchange Format
>    http://europa.eu.int/idabc/en/document/3439/5585

I am sure that your office will try its best to adhere to the policy we
are setting in Europe to enforce a better public administration.
I think we should be driven at least by emulation from the results other
communities have already obtained. See for example:

> 5. The commonwealth of Massachusetts has finalized its decision to standardize desktop applications on OpenDocument
>    http://news.com.com/2102-1012_3-5878869.html?tag=st.util.print

Just to help your effort, I send you as attachment the same document you
have already published, but in an open-format version, simply obtained
with OpenOffice.org office suite:

> 6. attachment: siteminerva.odp
>    md5sum: 4eafd9da4e7ad70cc6c9af3392401d40  siteminerva.odp


I hope this version will substitute the current closed-format version
that is available on your site.

With my best wishes for your important role in improving european
technology and culture, I would be pleased to receive a kind reply from
your office.

Yours sincerely,

Carlo Roatta, Italy