Blue Mass. Group has MOVED!!

We've MOVED!

ATTENTION! You are now on the OLD Blue Mass. Group homepage! We have moved away from Typepad and are now located at http://www.bluemassgroup.com. You'll notice a lot of new features at the new site -- if you've ever been to DailyKos you will recognize the format. (The platform is by Soapblox, similar to Scoop.) We've got diaries, ratings for comments, and recommended diaries. The intent was to make it much more of a community blog, as opposed to just a place for us to hold forth.

Give it a look, and please please please change your bookmarks!

Open Document, Insert Foot III: with Sen. Marc Pacheco (D-Redmond, WA)

So, we found out who's the Senator-mouthpiece for Microsoft in the lege's debate over the state moving to document types that aren't owned by a single, monopolistic company. It's Marc Pacheco, ostensibly of Taunton, but he's doing a better job of representing Redmond, WA.

Link:

The policy adopted by the state contains a standard within a standard, asserted Marc R. Pacheco (D-Taunton), chairman of the Senate Committee on Post Audit and Oversight.

"It sets forth under its wording language that would essentially still preclude Microsoft," he told TechNewsWorld.

"One has to question if this is about open document standards or is it about an exclusionary policy so that some people can't play in the system," he said.

Now there's an argument for you. Using document formats whose source code is open to the public -- "free, as in speech", as they say -- would somehow preclude Microsoft?

Horsehockey. It would prevent Mr. Softie from monopolizing the state's software purchase decisions, like they do most of the world. It would actually make them compete with other companies -- some of which actually are based in Massachusetts.

Now, Mr. Softie has supposedly offered to open up its formats (MS Open Office XML) for their next version of MS Office, but there's a problem... no one's seen what they're offering.

You smell a bluff?

No matter: RomneyCo's folding like origami masters! Let's listen to Massachusetts Secretary for Administration and Finance Tom Trimarco:

"The Commonwealth is very pleased with Microsoft's progress in creating an open document format. If Microsoft follows through as planned, we are optimistic that Office Open XML will meet our new standards for acceptable open formats."

Optimistic that Mr. Softie will play fair? Based on their past behavior?

Anyway, if you're in Sen. Pacheco's district, I'm sure he'd welcome your comments on how he's shilling for a monopolist at the expense of your taxpayer bucks and Bay State businesses. (617) 722-1551.

(Update: Well, background, really. Old news, but news to me, here and here.)

(My open-source disclosure.)

Bush speaks on Global Warming!

Here it is!

Thanks to Oliver Willis.

Wall Street Journal to MA: Freeze to death

So, the wise men of the Wall Street Journal editorial page (who, wags have said, don't read the actual fine reporting of that paper) have upbraided Rep. William Delahunt and Joe Kennedy for the Venezuela-MA oil deal:

"Mr. Delahunt's lobbying for the dictator undermines any official U.S. pressure on Mr. Chavez to behave more humanely, which is precisely why Mr. Chavez is returning the favor by plying Mr. Delahunt with cheap oil," the Journal asserted. "Leave it to the congressman ... and a Kennedy to close the deal."

Well, when the Senate of your own country leaves you to freeze, you just don't have many options.

Let's be clear: The WSJ guys care more about saving face for the (their) administration than people in MA having heat this winter. Nice priorities.