I'll vouch for this experience of finding a true and useful office kit in the OpenOffice.org package, but I'd like to add one word of sobriety just in case people get to thinking that it's only about saving that $400 or about all the extra features you get while also saving that money: Free software isn't a solution -- Free software is only a helping hand.

I was recently down in Toronto with my laptop freshly loaded with an as-yet untried installation of the latest and greatest OO.org. Getting myself stranded for a few extra days, I sat down to do some work and thought it now the time to try out the package. So I booted the laptop, clicked the start, and found myself face to face with OpenOffice.org ... in Catalan!

doh --

You see, in my not paying attention, I had misinterpreted the installation option ca as a country code (Canada) and not as it truly was, as a language code. I was stuck, and stuck with an excuse I'm not certain the boss accepted. I got the usual, "This wouldn't happen if you used Office"

You see, the thing is, OO.org doesn't sell me a solution, it offers me some assistance ... and that's an important distinction. I don't get a one-size-fits-all answer to nobody's business problem, but I get the help, advice, assistance and encouragement, not as part of any droll contract, just in a friendly, neighbourly way. Just other people with the same itch to scratch helping me scratch my own itch. I need a computer with an office suite, they have an office suite that works for them and freely offer to let me adapt it to my own use.

That use might be to use it in Catalan, or Dutch, or Amyaric ... it might not. And it might be that they'd made their language choice so long ago, it never occurred to them that a fresh-install might make the slop. All they gave me was what they had, should it be useful and I take what they offer and see if I can. End of story.

Why do I mention this? In part to clarify the sort of expectations people might have going into using free software, but also to introduce the corrollary of this story:

Free software is written by you and me ... together

To make this work, there has to be some "works for me!" code to share, and that code doesn't drop out of the trees. It's hard work, tedious, and it takes the combined efforts of all sorts of people doing all sorts of bits and pieces of the grand problem, collaborating in our freedom.

And right now, OpenOffice.org is asking for our help -- in the build-up to the version-2 release, OO.org is asking for our everyday work scenarios, our everyday use and problems and data; they are asking us to download the release candidates now, and give them a spin, reporting back on every little thing that doesn't work, doesn't work as expected, or that should work differently.

It's an alien concept to people weened on contractually-obligated software-as-product, but if you've ever wanted to be a part of that computer you use every day, now is your chance.

And it won't cost you a penny

I did a boo boo..I meant to say a professional'S , emphasis on the S meaning the Nurses opinion.Now..maybe I should start getting ready for that deck party....

For those of you reading this, that would like to try OO, but do not need the whole package,and just a word processor, you may find ABIWORD appealing. It, as Open Office is open source, no cost to you, and fully functional across all platforms(and inrechangeable with Mic. Office) Have a look at it at

http://www.abisource.com/

remember to send any feedback to the authors about anything you find strange, or non functional.Thats what open source is about.