Just occasionally I get files I can't read. Some are a bit obscure, like database files. Others are just proprietary formats and the sender assumes everyone has the same software as they do! My two pet hates are Microsoft Publisher and Visio.

The best way to ensure people can read your files is simply to use a common file format! PDF files are easily generated from Open Office just by printing to PDF. It's dead easy. Microsoft may not be quite as helpful (they do like closed standards), but there are plenty of cheap addons available which install as a printer in Windows, enabling you to print to a PDF from any program that can access a printer.

Doesn't it make sense to use a format everyoine can read? PDF is great for documents. It's not able to be modified by most users, so your work is preserved, and the PDF reader is ubiquitous - a great technology word that one; it means it's EVERYWHERE!

If you currently use an older version of Microsoft office, and would like a free product that reads and writes most Microsoft formats AND writes easily to PDF, just go now and download Open Office!

• Don't pass go
• Don't collect $200 (you won't need it, Open Office is free anyway)
• Just go to www.openoffice.org and get up to date for free!