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

Hello everyone,


2011/1/2 M. Fioretti <mfioretti@nexaima.net>

> On Sun, Jan 02, 2011 19:58:41 PM +0100, Italo Vignoli
> (italo.vignoli@gmail.com) wrote:
>
> > OOXML has been cleared from copyright and patent issues by Microsoft
> > itself before entering into the standardization process, as this is
> > a pre-condition of ISO standards. In addition, all Microsoft
> > document formats and related technologies are now fully documented
> > (also those totally proprietary). It looks like many people have not
> > followed the OOXML standardization process.
>
> Italo,
>
> I HAVE tried to follow that process as much as I could through the
> years, and my understanding, from the links below and many others, is
> that, in practice, even today things aren't really so easy, 100% clear
> and risk-free with OOXML.
>
> http://broadcast.oreilly.com/2010/03/what-should-happen-with-ooxmlo.html
> http://techrights.org/2010/01/11/ooxml-depending-on-country/
> http://techrights.org/2010/10/03/amicus-briefs-in-i4i-vs-microsoft/
> http://www.robweir.com/blog/2008/02/by-metes-and-bounds.html
> http://www.robweir.com/blog/2010/09/recipe-for-open-standards.html






I would like, if possible, to appease everyone here by clarifying two
questions.
- to my knowledge most of the OOXML "intellectual property" has been indeed
cleared from most issues, although Marco rightly pointed to some existing
inconsistencies. However, it's fortunately or unfortunately, should not be a
problem: OOo & LibO implement the existing and used version of MS
*proprietary formats* used in MS Office 2007 and 2010 that are called OOXML.
They're not exactly the ISO standard, far from that; feel free to call them
transitional if you wish, but it's very much of a grey area and I just call
them MS propietary formats. So what LibO does is to offer convenience to its
users: if it weren't I would suggest not to import/export in the old .doc
format as well, as it would follow the same pattern of thoughts.

- I would like to clarify that when we talk about a community, we do talk
about a community of contributors. I hope everyone has read our bylaws. It's
not just developers who contribute (yes, also QA testers among others) but
it's not anyone posting on a mailing list. In fact, posting on a mailing
list is not exactly a contribution. LibO is a meritocracy, not a shoutocracy
or a democracy. What Italo was explaining was that the choice to offer save
as OOXML (again, the format you find MS Office 2007 and 2010) has been made
by the people who contribute code at this stage. As the bylaws will
progressively become effective, we will gain more and more contributors and
perhaps this choice, through contributions, will change. But at this stage
it's unnecessary to argue over that on mailing lists.

Thank you.

Charles-H. Schulz
Co-Founder, The Document Foundation
& sometimes Member of the OASIS Consortium BoD.

> Marco F.
>
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