Closed formats are bad for everyone, not just geeks. The sooner people get this the better for us all.
If you buy music online in the closed DRM protected content formats, you’re stuffed when it comes to the basic rights you have to use and do as you will with your own belongings. The track does not work like a single you buy on CD..
If you use Office, and use a closed format, then chances are somewhere down the line, like in the past, you can’t open files in later versions of Office even.
Microsoft have been pushing their “Plays for Sure” logo, just more MS marketing to convince the unwitting public that MS are the way to go, and we can buy with confidence.. This is supposed to mean that when you buy from a service that uses their locked technology you can be sure it will play.
Unfortunately, MS are now releasing a new “Ipod Killer”, which doesn’t play for sure at all. This is always going to be the problem. If geeks can’t play, then it’s bad for everyone.
Get using open formats. MP3 isn’t open, but at least it’s not DRM. Ogg is the best bet. It’s better quality, but there’s a smaller amount of players out there.. But if we push for open formats then it will happen.
It worked for Office documents. The international standards body opted for an open document format (OASIS) which is supported by openoffice, and because the law has been altered in many states and countries to use only open formats for government work, Office is going to have to support this too.
In summary
Open == good – if you want a totally open experience, choose Ubuntu
Close == bad, if you want a totally closed experience, choose Windows
[...] If you like freedom to do what you want with what you own, and not be locked into single appliances/applications for music and media you purchase, then please Sign This Government Online Petition! Read my previous post on DRM to have an eye opened on why this petition is important.. I don’t like being branded a thief, and being denied the right to use my purchases as I wish.. [...]
[...] for music and media you purchase, then please Sign This Government Online Petition! Read my previous post on DRM to have an eye opened on why this petition is important.. I don’t like being branded [...]