Why I’m So Desperate for the Return of Microsoft Word to Our Prison Library
Why I’m So Desperate for the Return of Microsoft Word to Our Prison Library
A personal quest.
Non-paywalled Ghostarchive link.
On a recent trip to the law library, I opened LexisNexis and typed “AI” in the search field: 1,777 results popped up in the New York Law Journal. Pro se litigants are up against district attorneys equipped with A.I.– enhanced research and motion drafting tools at their fingertips. We don’t even have Microsoft Word.
Libre Office too ironic for a prison library?
Does Libre Office run on Swintec typewriters?
Because the issue is they're not even allowed a PC, the budget only allows typewriters.
They even point out in the article that a new Swintec technically costs more than a new, crummy laptop.
They're promoting new legislation to allow the libraries to allow modern equipment and not just typewriters.
Further, since it's a Correctional Facility library, there's gonna be strict controls and even if they wanted Libre Office instead of Microsoft Office they would have to put in a formal request for it and then have various security teams deciding whether it was safe to use or not, even though it is technically free. I mean, that goes for pretty much any government job or corporate job, too. They don't usually let people install whatever they want on government or corporate networks.
Oh the article mentioned JPay, and the tablet.
While I get that security certifications (and existing contracts with the right people!), the slowness of such laws ans disdain for prisoners, especially doing their law research, are big factors, I see a point that even prison admins shall consider. Besides big cuts in spending on capable clients, opening the ability for inmates to write whatever they want in a word processor as easily as it can be is a plus to the surveiliance. Authocracies of today don't ban their own social medias because an illusion of privacy makes people snitch on themselves.
even in the place closest to hell on Earth it looks like FOSS prevails yet again🌻behold OnlyOffice installable on Linux, Windows, and macOS
- Licensed under AGPL-3.0rip, check thread below
Does OnlyOffice run on Swintec typewriters? How many people are going all-in on not reading the article today?
reading the article, I had a thought/question: wouldn't the Swintec typewriter solely act as the typing implement and not as a stream blocker in a sense?
The typewriter obviously wouldn't have functions such as n-key-rollover, macros and whatnot but would it restrict what application can interpret the user's input?
If so then maybe someone could agrue that this is yet another case of IBM's Bundling