4 ms·

Currently Cern is having a go at replacing all microsoft products, due to high cost. https://home.cern/news/news/computing/migrating-open-source-technologies h

Currently Cern is having a go at replacing all microsoft products, due to high cost. https://home.cern/news/news/computing/migrating-open-source-technologies https://home.cern/news/news/computing/migrating-open-source-... The institute is big enough that it might be a source of inspiration or knowledge for local governments in Europe.

tasogare 7y ago
The average CERN user is way more tech savvy than random government workers.
- brnt 7y ago
  The average CERN user already does not use Windows or any MS products. All research infra is Linux (Cern Linux, a CentOS derivative), and apart from a stray Macbook, I've never seen anyone use anything but Linux. Windows was for a few desktops, administrative staff and optionally email (some Exchange or OWA stuff or sth).
  - pjmlp 7y ago
    So the whole Windows infrastructure from 2000 - 2005, including the use of Office to write documents in some is gone? And everyone at HLT has ditched their Apple laptops? I thought Scientific Linux was no longer a thing (I was a beta user back in the initial release).
- x3n0ph3n3 7y ago
  Government workers in South Korea are actually some of the brightest in the country. The jobs are extremely competitive and you have to score very highly on a set of standardize tests to qualify.
  - walshemj 7y ago
    Ah a test, that's defiantly going to get the "best" at passing tests whether this leads to good policy and implementation is arguable, the Active X debacle suggests not. It is probably more to do with the cultural influence of the Imperial examination
mjevans 7y ago
From my own small slice of experience, it seems likely related to a handful of issues: End Users: Who are addicted to using Outlook being their job. End Users: Who still need to inter-operate with others using MS products. MS Access possibly being the 'best' CRUD interface. (I think it even comes with an expense database template? I think it might also connect to ODBC setups, which are their own nightmare but at least multi-user.) Various literal corner cases that break workflows. Such as the RTF support LibreOffice lacking the ability to understand feature Y which other file formats can handle (E.G. repeat header row on new pages), or those same import/exports not looking exactly the same in other 'office' software. == As a suggestion, even though I'm not familiar with the LibreOffice XML formats offhand, it would be nice if we took a modern, big computer, look at digital typesetting, text area layouts and flow rules. With documents containing multiple types of data and multiple presentation modes (for one document), with a required 'generic' mode that matches traditional web pages, layouts specific to paper sizes / screen sizes, and layout support for anchoring / positioning within those layouts. There also wouldn't be a strong differentiation between 4th dimensional content (moving screens/pages), tables, charts/drawings, or any other type of elements. That might be 'better enough' that MS has to adopt it too.
- walshemj 7y ago
  Outlook is still the best MUA (Mail User Agent)

tasogare 7y ago

The average CERN user is way more tech savvy than random government workers.

brnt 7y ago
The average CERN user already does not use Windows or any MS products. All research infra is Linux (Cern Linux, a CentOS derivative), and apart from a stray Macbook, I've never seen anyone use anything but Linux. Windows was for a few desktops, administrative staff and optionally email (some Exchange or OWA stuff or sth).
- pjmlp 7y ago
  So the whole Windows infrastructure from 2000 - 2005, including the use of Office to write documents in some is gone? And everyone at HLT has ditched their Apple laptops? I thought Scientific Linux was no longer a thing (I was a beta user back in the initial release).
x3n0ph3n3 7y ago
Government workers in South Korea are actually some of the brightest in the country. The jobs are extremely competitive and you have to score very highly on a set of standardize tests to qualify.
- walshemj 7y ago
  Ah a test, that's defiantly going to get the "best" at passing tests whether this leads to good policy and implementation is arguable, the Active X debacle suggests not. It is probably more to do with the cultural influence of the Imperial examination

mjevans 7y ago

From my own small slice of experience, it seems likely related to a handful of issues: End Users: Who are addicted to using Outlook being their job. End Users: Who still need to inter-operate with others using MS products. MS Access possibly being the 'best' CRUD interface. (I think it even comes with an expense database template? I think it might also connect to ODBC setups, which are their own nightmare but at least multi-user.) Various literal corner cases that break workflows. Such as the RTF support LibreOffice lacking the ability to understand feature Y which other file formats can handle (E.G. repeat header row on new pages), or those same import/exports not looking exactly the same in other 'office' software. == As a suggestion, even though I'm not familiar with the LibreOffice XML formats offhand, it would be nice if we took a modern, big computer, look at digital typesetting, text area layouts and flow rules. With documents containing multiple types of data and multiple presentation modes (for one document), with a required 'generic' mode that matches traditional web pages, layouts specific to paper sizes / screen sizes, and layout support for anchoring / positioning within those layouts. There also wouldn't be a strong differentiation between 4th dimensional content (moving screens/pages), tables, charts/drawings, or any other type of elements. That might be 'better enough' that MS has to adopt it too.

walshemj 7y ago
Outlook is still the best MUA (Mail User Agent)