Re: [tdf-discuss] Do not support writing to OOXML format

----- Original Message ----

> From: Carl Symons <carlsymons@gmail.com>
> To: discuss@documentfoundation.org
> Sent: Thu, December 30, 2010 3:47:30 PM
> Subject: Re: [tdf-discuss] Do not support writing to OOXML format
>
> On Thu, Dec 30, 2010 at 12:19 PM, Gordon Burgess-Parker
> <gbplinux@gmail.com> wrote:
> > On  30/12/10 17:27, Larry Gusaas wrote:
> > > I will not support  or use LibreOffice
> > >  until it stops helping spread OOXML by enabling  writing in this file
> > > format. There is absolutely no need to write in  this proprietary format. 
To
> > > do so is contrary to the principle of  using ODF and open source formats.
> > >
> > > See the  following:
> > >
> > >  
> http://user.services.openoffice.org/en/forum/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=2493&p=169740#p169507
>
> > > http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20101219121621828
> > >
> > > ; Unless this changes I will strongly advocate in the support groups  I
> > > participate the people stay with OpenOffice.org and not switch to
> > >  LibreOffice.
> > OOXML will spread anyway because MS  Office 2007 and 2010 use this format by
> > default. Nothing you can do  about it I'm afraid....
>
> MS may create documents in OOXML by  default. LibO can read them too.
>
> Larry Gusaas' original point was to  avoid helping MS with this
> anti-open scheme. LibO should not help MS  "...spread OOXML by enabling
> writing in this file format..." In other words,  make it so that LibO
> can _read_ OOXML documents, but not _write/save as_ this  format.
> Enable LibO to _write_ in MS' proprietary .doc format, but not  their
> fake "open" format. It is not open. The intent of this fake  file
> format is to damage open software applications.

Agree. LibO should only read OOXML if anything at all.
 
> It is similar to  what they did with web standards, their own special
> Java, their own special  C++. MS bribed their way into getting OOXML
> accepted as an ISO open standard.  Truly open applications shouldn't go
> along with this scam. MS has suffered  very little for their bad
> behavior.
>
> Even MS Office users (prior to  2007) have had trouble with this docx fraud.

Perhaps LibO and all other Open Source projects - and perhaps anyone supporting 
ODF for that matter - should treat OOXML like Microsoft treats ODF and other 
formats - as third party as possible.
In other words, read support should be something that users must enable; Save 
support should not be possible - it must be converted to either an older MS 
format (e.g. doc, xls) or ODF.
We need to force MS to support ODF - as others have pointed out ODF is quickly 
becoming the world standard at least at the government level - which means in a 
few years most organizations that support governments will need to support ODF 
too, and a few years after that organizations that support those organizations, 
and so forth. MS has lost the file format battle to ODF - it's just time before 
OOXML (especially) and their legacy formats are gone.

The idea of LibO/etc reading OOXML pushes the issue - just like MS did to so 
many other formats to get people to convert to their formats.
After all, what's good for the goose is good for the gander, no?

Of course, all functionality should be dually advertised - with explanations as 
to why.

Ben

P.S. I am not advocating vengeance - just equal and fair play.
P.P.S BTW, Office 2007 and later often get set to use the legacy formats by  
default as many organizations don't use OOXML if they have an  organizational 
standard. It's only those that don't that continue using  the defaults.

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