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Re: [LUG] Excel mangles genes draft letter
On Tue, 20 Jul 2004 08:31:03 +0100, Carl <cjm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Adrian Midgley wrote:
It doesn't actually prove a case for open source.
The draft is explicit on that already.
It makes absolutely no difference to the end user whether or not the
source code for Excel is available.
Can you prove that?
My opinion is that end users who take science forward through
peer-reviewed publication whcih includes details of methods are likely to
think that the publication of the method in the instance of the software
is a significant difference.
Excel can be a damn frustrating app in many ways, but it generally
correctly handles cell formatting.
However, we respond to a report of a case in which it did not, an
exception, with a comment on a diffferently-produced tool which did not
share that exception...
I was going to invent a general theory of relativity, but that's been
done, nevertheless if this sort f thing provides a shred of padding in the
shoulder pad of the jacket of a giant upon which someone else may sit
later, then it is not entirely without virtue.
If a user sets up a spreadsheet (which is not intended to be used as a
replacement for a database)
I didn't see anything that suggested that a spreadsheet was being used a
sa replacement for a database. It may be the case, but it may not.
As I said, I don't see how an open source model helps in this kind of
instance.
Clearly the proposed draft letter is not sharply enough written, yet,
then. I do see it but may not be able to convince everyone else.
The OpenOffice spreadsheet is of course an OSS one, I'm pleased to hear it
is in one respect better than Excel, I use it as well. Is there any
general principle that can be drawn from it?
Does it handle the data in question in the same damaging way as Excel, or
in the non-damaging way as does Gnumeric? That would appear to be another
experiment in the same series.
--
AKM
Homefield Surgery Heavitree Exeter 01392 214151
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