Norway's Government Requires Open Document Format

The government of Norway has announced that all government websites must use three standards to make information equally accessible to all users, whether or they purchase Microsoft or other proprietary software. Click on the link to this title to read an English translation of the Norwegian government announcement that ODF (open document format for word processing forms that users can fill out), PDF (permanent document format for materials that should stay the same) and HTML (for creating the website formatting:

[from] IT-minister Heidi Grande Røys.

"This is the decision of the government:

"* HTML should be the primary format for publication of public information on the Internet.

"* PDF (1.4 or newer, or PDF/A - ISO 19005-1) is compulsory when you wish to preserve the original layout of a document.

"* ODF (ISO/IEC 26300) must be used when publishing documents that are meant to be changed after downloading, eg. forms that are to be filled in by the user.

The site in the link and from which the English quote comes, The Inquirer, at http://www.theinquirer.net/gb dated 12/20/2007