Microsoft does it again

**SonicSteve** · December 19th, 2006

Originally Posted by ]Nbx*cmD[

Don't they know OpenDocument is now an ISO standard since last month???

They could be denounced for not using opendocument format, since all commercial developers, as well as administration and official institutions, are obligated to use opendocument from now on!

Well... they live in their own world, forget them ^_^

I was wondering how the whole Oasis opendocument format was coming. I'm a bit confused by what their exact influence is though. Does microsoft mearly need to incorportate support for opendocument while still making their proprietary formats the default saving options? Or am I even way off base in saying that much?

I'm glad to see opendocument coming along the way it is. But what does it amount to? Can anyone explain in layman terms?

**SonicSteve** · December 19th, 2006

"Before I get started, I think this whole Trusted Computing initiative is crap and really, really bad"

I'm not even sure I know what this is....infact I don't. What is it?

**casaschi** · December 19th, 2006

Originally Posted by '

They could be denounced for not using opendocument format, since all commercial developers, as well as administration and official institutions, are obligated to use opendocument from now on!

I understand the enthusiasm for opensource and openstandards, but where does it say that ALL COMMERCIAL DEVELOPERS are OBLIGED to use opendocument from now on?
Would a software developer go to jail for using a proprietary format?

**EdThaSlayer** · December 22nd, 2006

So Microsoft spends thousands of dollars making sure that no one else can read their file formats? If they do this...I guess more people would use the OpenOffice Document format.

**SonicSteve** · December 22nd, 2006

Originally Posted by EdThaSlayer

So Microsoft spends thousands of dollars making sure that no one else can read their file formats? If they do this...I guess more people would use the OpenOffice Document format.

I wouldn't be so sure. I can imagine most people not even recognizing the significance because they think that MS office is the only real option anyway. If you think it's the only real option you will simply assume that most people will use it which makes the the file format restrictions inconsequential, at least in they're eyes.
Anyway time will tell and aside from using openoffice there is little we can do about this. The corporations don't listen unless they start to hurt financially.

**EdThaSlayer** · December 24th, 2006

Originally Posted by SonicSteve

I wouldn't be so sure. I can imagine most people not even recognizing the significance because they think that MS office is the only real option anyway. If you think it's the only real option you will simply assume that most people will use it which makes the the file format restrictions inconsequential, at least in they're eyes.
Anyway time will tell and aside from using openoffice there is little we can do about this. The corporations don't listen unless they start to hurt financially.

I guess you are right. Its the same as for Linux Operating systems, most people haven't even heard about it, and so never try it out since they think that M$ is the only option.

But I guess the only increase in use of Openoffice formats will come from Linux users themselves, since most of them would probably convert their old ".doc" files to ".ood" files.
That is-if OpenOffice stops supporting ".doc" so they don't get sued.