clarification
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| number6x Sep 29, 2004 10:10 AM EDT |
The way the lead-in to this article is worded almost implies that Microsoft Office would some how be excluded from using this format: "This being the second major standards body to express interest in Open Office's XML file format -- at the deliberate exclusion of Microsoft's patent-encumbered XML file format -- signals that Open Office is further now on its way to becoming an accepted standard. " [emphasis mine] This is not worded very well (or is the misleading implication a result of intentional 'spin'?) If the OO.org XML format becomes an ISO standard, there is absolutely nothing that would stop Microsoft Office from implementing that standard. Microsoft actively chooses to force customers to save their data in Microsoft's proprietary formats. There is no deliberate 'exclusion' of Microsoft by Open Office, by the European commission, or by the ISO standards organization. Microsoft can choose to implement OO.org's XML format now or if it is standardized. Microsoft will also be able to continue to use their proprietary, patent-encumbered format whether or not the OO.org XML format becomes standardized. Standardizing the OO.org format will not exclude Microsoft from continued use of their own format. Microsoft has chosen to 'exclude' the OO.org format, denying Microsoft's customers the ability to save the customer's own data in an industry standard format. Hopefully Microsoft will choose to allow their customers to save documents in the Open Office format if they choose to. Otherwise The customers may choose to switch the products they use, and drop Microsoft Office. This message was edited Sep 29, 2004 1:14 PM |
| adodson Sep 29, 2004 11:06 AM EDT |
I think the article is trying to say that ISO is interested in OOo's XML format, and NOT Microsoft's XML format. This message was edited Sep 29, 2004 3:06 PM |
| peragrin Sep 29, 2004 11:29 AM EDT |
>>There is no deliberate 'exclusion' of Microsoft by Open Office, by the European commission, or by the ISO standards organization. |
| swhiser Sep 29, 2004 4:00 PM EDT |
Number6's clarification is right on the money and much appreciated. In fact the EC invited both OOo and MSO reps to demonstrate their formats, and it was the OOo format which has won the opportunity to become an ISO standard. Also, the OOo suite is engineered to ingest and work with all legacy MS Office formats as well as the new MS Office XML schema which are patent-encumbered. Thx #6! -SWHiser |
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