Today I’ve had very gratifying day, because it was my “first time” three times:

This morning, during the CONGED, I had the opportunity to participate for the first time on a debate about ODF and OpenXML with Microsoft (or almost). Microsoft could not send any employee to participate, but sent Leandro Jekimim, a researcher from UNESP-Bauru (an University on Sao Paulo State) who works at the interoperability center that Microsoft mantains there. Each of us did a fast presentation and then answer a series of questions from the audience.

I enjoyed the experience, because I believe we have explained the differences between the standards and talked a little about the co-existence of both on the market (their impacts and costs). The audience consisted of students and teachers of information management graduation courses, that left the debate very pleased to have understood the subject, and aware of the problem created by decades of generation and use of documents stored in proprietary formats.

Before the panel, attended the opening ceremony of the III National Meeting of BrOffice (Brazilian name of OpenOffice), an event all done through video conference with participation of various Brazilian states and a few countries, like Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Uruguay and Paraguay.

In mid-afternoon, I went back to the BrOffice’s National Meeting to attend to the end of the event, and I was very happy to receive from the BrOffice’s community, the Free Flight Award (in the photo below) as recognition for the work I did and I have done with ODF and open standards.

Free Flight Award

It was the first time I received an award and thank the community of BrOffice (count on me today and forever, guys). It is a pride to work with people like you, that dribble all imaginable obstacles to provide an office suite completely appropriate to the Brazilian reality (and best of all: FREE… as in Freedom ).

Tonight, I had the pleasure to write my first post on the blog that I am inaugurating today at the ItWeb portal. I was invited to write there a few weeks ago and I am very happy to have that new space to share my ideas and experiences, dealing there with the same issues here, but on a lighweight fashion, and write a little about information and communication technology in general.

I thank the staff of IT Media for the opportunity and hope to meet yours expectations.

It is enough for today, because after a day with three “first times” I need a few hours of sleep.

On Monday I will publish an information that I’ve found yesterday, and left me very angry and indignant. As today is a day of joy, let the bitterness for Monday (as always).

Good weekend for everyone.