Norwegian OpenOffice.org community wins prize and cash

OpenOffice.org translators receive prize

by Eirik Rossen

This years prize for advancement of Free Software went to the translators of OpenOffice.org

The annual prize for the advancement of Free Software was handed out yesterday. Of the 25 nominated candidates, the Foundation for Free Norwegian Office Software won.

The prize is given on the initiative of the Norwegian Unix User Group (NUUG) and the Oslo Polytechnic and amounts to 30 000 NOK.

The goal is to increase awareness of free software and open standards, and is awarded to individuals or groups in Norway who distinguish themselves with their contribution. Yesterday's tribute was the fifth time the prize has been given out.

The Foundation for Free Norwegian Office Software received the prize for its work with the organization and coordination of the translation of the Free productivity suite, OpenOffice.org to both main dialects of Norwegian. The foundation also works to influence key stakeholders to adopt financial, business and archival systems using OpenOffice.org

The jury opines that access to software in ones native language is important to guarantee that everyone can benefit from the tools needed in today's IT-Norway. In the introduction it continues:

"The Foundation for Free Norwegian Office Software has contributed to the guarantee that writing tools that are needed at many work places now exist in both Bokm0Š2l and Nynorsk, and thus helped the continuation of the Norwegian language. It has also increased general knowledge of open standards by enabling usage of an open data format, and contributed to greater choice by providing Linux-users access to a complete productivity suite."

"The prize winners have in a distinguished manner put deed before talk in regards to open standards and Free software. Instead of forcing all to use software from a single vendor, they have given everyone the freedom to choose software in Norwegian. Through the translation of this freely available productivity suite, everyone gets full support for open data formats. The OpenDocument format is ratified by the International Standards Organization (ISO). Norwegian users have gained an productivity suite which can be freely downloaded both for commercial and personal use, on a range of platforms such as Windows, Linux and Macintosh."

Link in Norwegian: http://www.digi.no/php/art.php?id=355064
Thanks to Lars Nooden for the news!