Re: Adobe Reader 10

[Jean Louis]

* quiliro <quiliro@riseup.net> [2021-03-20 07:14]:
> Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:
> > I would send to government a letter that software is proprietary and
> > not a standard, and that government is thus favoring proprietary
> > company "Adobe" that is not even Canadian company -- I would ask for
> > reasons why they are favoring foreign company whereby they cannot
> > guarantee safety of users' data, as software is not free. I would ask
> > if they have hidden agenda with Adobe and how much Adobe is paying to
> > government -- or is it just a capricious decision of governments'
> > official who simply did not know nothing better. There are forms that
> > work with free software, and if I remember well I was using Evince to
> > complete such without problems. I would tell them that using
> > proprietary software impacts my freedom, as it controls my data
> > without my consent and without possibility to inspect how it works, as
> > it is not free software. Then I would tell them to provide PDF by
> > standard that may be edited by software on various operating systems,
> > and by free software and not just by the one specific Adobe version.
> >
> > Write a letter now, maybe you save thousands other people of the same
> > problem. 
> >
> > Jean
> 
> 
> These are great suggestions.  Jean is a very experienced and witty
> person.  I would do as he said with just one modification.  I would make
> the letter very friendly and respectful.

Sure it should be friendly and respectful. But when writing to
government officials in Canada, country is very democratic and
expressing the citizen's protest will most probably be understood. I
do believe in Canadian officers to be aware much more than officers in
some countries. They may not get the point immediately, but if well
explained they will follow up with it to make sure that citizens are
respected. 

> I have found bureaucrats are very powerful and that their decision
> can influence government-wide policies.  Big corporations know this
> and invite public officials to play golf with world champions
> abroad, like happened here in Ecuador.  We cannot afford that, but
> we can certainly afford to be nice.  Maybe true appreciation of
> people's internal value will sometimes win over money and comfort.

Ecuador and Canada are quite different countries. One can talk to
Western European and generally European countries about free
software. Yet criticizing government's decisions for example in
Tanzania, would not work, one could even get arrested and questioned
or put in prison. Expressing one's opinion online or even on Facebook
could invite door knocks and arrests.

In some countries I would avoid expressing any protest with my return
address and personal identity disclosed. I do learn from hundreds of
years of experiences of other people in suppressive administrations.

In Croatia I was reviewing a public governmental database and found
Google Captcha, I have got disturbed by Captcha that does not work
well and inhibit my research, so I have complained, but they brushed
off my arguments that they are favoring US based company in their
country without making a public tender for the service.

Jean