* Roy Schestowitz peremptorily fired off this memo:
>> 2. If Microsoft says you?ve got five fingers on each hand, many
>> people will insist on an independent count.
>>
> The EU regulators will hopefully take a look at what PJ had to say...
>
> http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20080522012330406
>
> [...]
>
> "GPL developers can't obtain patent licenses. That would violate the terms of
> the GPL. Period.
I don't think "patents" apply to anything Microsoft might be planning in
regard to their still-vaporous ODF implementation.
> [...]
>
> "Please note that they too expressed dreams of maintaining ODF, not just OOXML,
> and making the two "interoperable". So, now Microsoft says it will join OASIS
> and "help" ODF and it hopes ODF will go to the same folks who mangled OOXML.
I do think its possible that Microsoft might apply its bureaucratic
know-how to "assist" the ODF out of a meaningful existence, the way
they've just about done with the whole ISO <wry grin>.
> "I wish they were sincere. I'd love to be proven wrong. But I'm afraid, having
> watched Microsoft shove OOXML through the Fast Track process, despite it not
> even being usable, that ODF will be harmonized out of meaningful existence. I
> suspect that is the plan. And so to me, the announcement of "support" for ODF
> sounds like it could just be the next chess move in Microsoft's strategy to
> maintain its heavy footprint."
This is the most likely scenario. Heavy footprint. Embrace, extend,
extinguish.
Somehow, I'm not too optimistic that
1. OpenOffice will be opening perfect-looking ODF documents written
by Microsoft Office.
2. People will be flocking to "Save As..." the ODF format. Microsoft
surely will not encourage that, except on some URL tucked away on
support.microsoft.com
--
I believe OS/2 is destined to be the most important operating system, and
possibly program, of all time.
-- Bill Gates, OS/2 Programmers Guide, November 1987
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