Microsoft bows to Mass. with open records format

If I'm reading this right, the title should be reverse.

Even if Microsoft XML would be compatible with the document format, ODF has other features that Microsoft can't or won't match. What about the XML:RDF bridge?

Can you take advantage of technically challenged newspaper writers? Only if you're Microsoft.

Again, MS PR is trying to blur the issues.

[Yates called Open XML ''utterly, completely, and perpetually open," and said Microsoft would charge no royalties or licensing fees for its use. ''You won't ever be sued for using this technology," Yates said. ''You can use this technology with no concern."]

Yes we can read the data, but, can we use the schema? If so, what else we would need and have to use that is not "Open" and consumers have to pay for to be successful in converting to other formats when the need arises? MS is not saying.

Sutor is right, MS Open XML is nothing but a pie in the sky for open standards.

[Peter Quinn, who's leading the drive for the new data standard, said the Microsoft proposal will probably meet the state's demands.]

Is Quinn buckling under political pressure? It sure looks like he is. We shall see. It would be very unfortunate. MA citizens would be the losers and ODF will survive to fight another battle in another place.

I just dealt with this in an article:

"This Court cannot ignore the obvious. Here is the dominant firm in the software industry admitting it `preannounces' products to freeze the current software market and thereby defeat the marketing plans of competitors that have products ready for market. Microsoft admits that the preannouncement is solely for the purpose of having an adverse impact on a competitor's product. Its counsel states it has advised its client that the practice is perfectly legal and it may continue the practice. This practice of an alleged monopolist would seem to contribute to the acquisition, maintenance, or exercise of market share. . . . "

Let's not forget the real issue here: Open file formats, not dead Microsoft.

The big danger was that Microsoft would refuse to honor any truly open file format and use its muscle to continue business as usual. That bullet seems to have been dodged.

Now, Microsoft opens itself up to a little danger.

First, a truly open and ECMA-ized file format is available to anyone who wants to import or export the files.

That means OpenOffice, Koffice, AbiWord, WordPerfect, just about anybody, can get along with them.

If Microsoft's format doesn't support all the features of OpenDocument, Office will gain the reputation as an inferior tool for doing business with Massachusetts AND for business with firms doing business with Massachusetts, etc. The old six degrees of seperation thing.

We'll have to see how things play out. There's still plenty of room for a "We can't possibly get this done in time -- You have to toss your miserable little standard", all while others have wasted development time on importers/exporters.

Shades of OS/2.

Dino,

What makes you so sure that a "ECMA-ized file format" is not going to have hidden MS owned patents that will hinder the import export of its data? Can you trust MS a tiny bit? I sure don't.

Considering MS history, I say "dead MS" is the issue.

[We'll have to see how things play out. There's still plenty of room for a "We can't possibly get this done in time]

That would be my guess.MS is pretty good at that.

After the obvious Thanksgiving mud-slinging exercise, I would have expected the Globe to be blacklisted until a full apology had been issued (the follow-up admitted zero wrongdoing).

This type of stuff happens a lot in the media, and the standard response is refuse any request for comment. If you think that some media have an vested interest or position adverse to you, the best practice is just shutting up. Your statements can and often are carefully edited to serve the media purposes.

I would not be surprised if his comments have been cut and pasted to make it look as if he is much more in support of Open XML than he really is.

Then again, he might be obliged to talk to the press given his civil servant status.

Quoting:I would not be surprised if his comments have been cut and pasted to make it look as if he is much more in support of Open XML than he really is.

Quinn was hung out to dry for the whole world to see.

I wonder how many of us would modify our leaning after that.