Anyone who owns a computer will know that they can be expensive - there's not just the cost of the computer itself, but the cost of getting internet access, and buying all the programs you need to actually make your computer productive. The government wants to make computing accessible to all, but sometimes the cost involved can be one of many reasons that put people off.
So it is nice to learn that there are solutions available, one of the best examples of which is OpenOffice.org. OpenOffice is a suite of programs that is compatible with all other major office suites, and which has style and functionality to match. It is an 'open-source' set of programs, so called because the code used to write the software is available to anyone – this means the software can be developed quickly, efficiently and free of charge. And perhaps the best bit for the average home computer user – it is completely FREE to download and install.
This has obvious advantages for many people – for example, business users can stop (and indeed many are stopping!) paying thousands of pounds per year for their regular licenses and switch to OpenOffice with minimal downtime, because it is can open and edit documents from other applications with ease.
For BRERC, there are obviously benefits too. Funding is always limited, and if we can limit the number of products we need to buy, whilst still giving our staff and volunteers access to good software such as OpenOffice, that's a real success.
But perhaps the greatest benefit is that we know that any recorder or member of the public can download and install OpenOffice and access any document we choose to make available on our website, including our recording templates, metadata and much more.
Therefore, BRERC is keen to raise awareness the use of OpenOffice and other free, open-source programs amongst the recording community.
To download and learn more about OpenOffice, visit their website at www.openoffice.org.
If you are not able to download OpenOffice and would like a copy, or you have a question relating to its use in environmental recording, please contact BRERC.