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MS-OOXML: A format without a future?
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| Is Microsoft's Office Open XML a functional standard, and if not, why is it
| being rushed through the process?
|
| Microsoft's problems with OOXML just won't go away. MS-OOXML was supposed to
| supplant the Open Document Format (ODF), but is becoming an embarrassment. As
| a format it betrays its hurried origins, and is over-complex. At best, it has
| technical problems. At worst, it is barely fit for purpose.
|
| Questions are being asked in Europe about the way that Microsoft went about
| the standardisation process. At least four countries have succeeded in having
| their objections raised to the fast-tracking of OOXML through the
| International Standards Organisation (ISO), and as a consequence, the ISO has
| put the standard on hold, at least for the time being.
|
| Microsoft has no date for implementing OOXML on its own platform, but has
| agreed to implement the rival ODF format on Microsoft Office. Microsoft has
| given its blessings to ODF by joining the OASIS committees, and to cap it
| all, a senior Microsoft spokesman has conceded that "ODF has clearly won".
|
| Clearly, there is a pressing need for an open standard for document formats.
| Documents that can be shared across platforms, across products, and across
| time. The solution to the problem is ODF, which was created by a technical
| committee of the OASIS industry consortium and has benefited from industry
| wide participation in its development. ODF gained acceptance as an ISO
| standard in May 2006.
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http://www.itpro.co.uk/605142/ms-ooxml-a-format-without-a-future
The Updated OSP and Free Software Interoperability
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| One of the reasons that the GPL ignorance line was trotted out for so long
| might have been concern over the the SFLC’s criticism of the OSP. To put it
| in simple terms, the OSP does not travel with the code. So writing a (eg)
| GPL* implementation of an OSP covered specification in the expectation that
| the code may be re-used for other things (which is a cornerstone of
| interactions in the free software community) creates a problem. That code
| becomes encumbered by a patent mine which arms itself when the code is
| (non-conformingly) reused. At best, even with this addition to the FAQ, the
| OSP still fails to respect the freedom of free software implementations
| (whether GPL or otherwise) of covered specifications.** It is unclear, for
| example, what effect the “no surrender of others’ freedom” clauses of the
| relevant GPLs would be in the event of a successful patent action against a
| non-conforming implementation.
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http://brendanscott.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/the-updated-osp-and-free-software-interoperability/
Recent:
What do Free and Open Source Software Leaders Think of Microsoft?
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| Second, talking about the standards fight in which Microsoft succeeded in
| having its OOXML format accepted as an open standard in rivalry to the ODF
| format favored by OpenOffice.org and other free office applications, Stallman
| notes that "Microsoft corrupted many members of ISO in order to win approval
| for its phony 'open' document format, OOXML. This was so governments that
| keep their documents in a Microsoft-only format can pretend that they are
| using 'open standards.' The government of South Africa has filed an appeal
| against the decision, citing the irregularities in the process."
`----
http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/osrc/article.php/12068_3753076_3
Recommendation for ODF in Uruguay
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| It is with great pleasure that I present the recommendation of AGESIC (Agency
| for the Development of Government Electronic Management and Information and
| Knowledge Society) of Uruguay, which states that “… the Executive,
| Legislative and Judiciary Powers, Decentralized Organizations and Companies
| where the state holds equity majority… “, shall distribute and receive
| electronic documents in, at least, one open standard for electronic documents
| (ODF or PDF).
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http://homembit.com/2008/07/recommendation-for-odf-in-uruguay.html
ODF keeps on winning: Uruguay
,----[ Quote ]
| The Agency for the Development of Government Electronic Management and
| Information and Knowledge Society of Uruguay have now published their
| recommendation that public documents use either ODF or PDF.
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http://www.sutor.com/newsite/blog-open/?p=2389
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