This reply by Brian Jones shows his complicity in fraud.

Story: Brian Jones can't tell why MS customers have to waste billions of dollars on OOXMLTotal Replies: 1
Author Content
Bob_Robertson

Feb 12, 2008
12:07 PM EDT
This reply by Brian Jones, in the comments, demonstrates his ignorance of the situation.

------- Tuesday, December 04, 2007 10:37 PM by BrianJones # re: It’s hard damned work trying to make this process look so bad Dave, I don't think you have access to all the facts. Just look at the history. ODF and OpenXML were developed in parallel. ODF had one set of goals and Open XML had another. These are the facts. If we used ODF and didn't create Open XML, 99% of our customers who don't give a lick about file formats would have to suffer. They would lose things from their files, and they would then lose faith in the product. They would go back to using the binary formats, and that would do absolutely no good. If the ODF guys decide to change their design goals, then they are welcome to reference the Ecma standard and change ODF to also be compatible with the existing base of Office binary documents. It would require a good re-working of their existing format though, and I doubt they will want to do that. -Brian --------------

Ok, Brian, tell me: How is ODF supposed to make ODF binarily backward-compatible with _closed, proprietary file formats_?

OfficeXML doesn't do it any better, since those _closed, proprietary file formats_ are pointed to in the "spec", but never defined.

OfficeXML ends up being 6000 pages which don't define anything. Implementing the OfficeXML "spec" is impossible without prior full documentation of the _closed, proprietary file formats_ of the previous Microsoft Office editions. That documentation does not exist outside of Microsoft.

The entire OfficeXML "standard" is a _lie_.

I notice how he never mentions how very good at reading prior MS Office files the various F/OSS office suits are, by the simple but legally tenuous process of reverse engineering.

But then, that wouldn't serve Microsoft's purposes of vendor lock-in.
tracyanne

Feb 12, 2008
12:35 PM EDT
That makes a very interesting read.

Posting in this forum is limited to members of the group: [ForumMods, SITEADMINS, MEMBERS.]

Becoming a member of LXer is easy and free. Join Us!