SCHEMAS AND TIN FOIL

November proved to be an interesting month in the Linux and Free Software communities. Things started out pretty normally, with another successful Ubuntu release and the accompanying “Ubuntu Below Zero” hacker gathering in Montreal. We also saw a new distribution from RedHat (their Enterprise Directory distribution) and some turbulent times for a couple of other vendors. By the middle of the month, Microsoft was hinting that it might finally standardize the Microsoft Office file formats under an international body, leading some to wonder if they were trying to turn over a new leaf. But alas, it didn’t last. As the month came to an end, Microsoft drew fire from the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) in a scandal that many Free Software enthusiasts feel has tainted the UN World Summit on Information Society.