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

On 12/30/2010 4:14 PM, BRM wrote:
> ----- Original Message ----
<snip>
> 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.

Unfortunately, MS now claims that it *does* support ODF, reading and writing files with the ODF 
extensions. But users attempting interoperability will soon discover that the MS implementation is 
not really compatible with other ODF implementations (most notably in spreadsheet formulas, but not 
just that). I think the MS plan here is to say that *they've* got the true standard implementation 
and everybody else is wrong. Since that (basically proprietary) version of ODF is now distributed as 
part of MS Office, it's just about everywhere, so they have the numbers on their side. That seems to 
leave everybody else once again playing "catch-up" with MS, which can then simply do as it pleases 
with the standard, being the 600-pound gorilla in the room. Interoperability issues will than be 
charged against the non-MS implementation, making it "safer" for organizations to stay with MS. Am I 
being unduly pessimistic here?

> 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.

It looks as if the general opinion here is that reading OOXML is a good idea, and writing it is not. 
I agree.

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