*.docx blues

[Brunellus]

RANT ON

My law school careers service distributed what promised to be an illuminating document in *.docx format--that's MSFT's new format for Word 2007 and later.

Of course, I can't view this, and so I e-mailed, saying: "It would be nice if the document were distributed in *.doc, too."

Their response:

"That's the system/program the university provided for us -- it was our upgrade – as most student’s systems can handle. If you need it as a .doc -- just ask, or come into the office to obtain a paper version."

Uh, no. If anything *.docx breaks the de facto standard that MSFT's *.doc had become--and for no real benefit. Hell, I'm not even asking them to distribute in a free format.

I don't even know why this dismays me. The IT infrastructure at school isn't terribly "with it." I've known this for years. But it's stupid stuff like this that gets me down.

RANT OFF

[hyperdude111]

Open office 3.0 supports .docx files.

[RiceMonster]

Open office 3.0 supports .docx files.

Not very well though.

[sydbat]

Did you "rant" back to the school with something similar to what you posted here? Especially the "Uh, no. If anything *.docx breaks the de facto standard that MSFT's *.doc had become--and for no real benefit. Hell, I'm not even asking them to distribute in a free format." point you make?

[Dougie187]

You could also look around and see where it says on their IT sites that students are required to have support for Office 2007 and later data files.

[stwschool]

Ask them if they are incapable of opening it at their end, and choosing save as -> Office 97-2003 so that everyone can read it.

[hessiess]

Office 07 is perfectly capable of saving in .doc format, docx is just a deliberate breaking of backwards compatibility to force people to upgrade to 0ffice 07, complete with its horrible new interface.

[ssam]

get the latest version of openoffice from the ppa https://launchpad.net/~openoffice-pkgs/+archive/ppa

[lykwydchykyn]

Based on the response you got, I'd say you aren't dealing with someone who is particularly computer-savvy, and probably doesn't realize how simple it would be to save as .doc (much less realize the importance of using formats *all* students can easily access rather than one that *most* students can access when it provides no tangible benefit).

I prescribe a treatment of patient, but insistent, education, while trying to avoid antagonizing the person as much as possible. You might also contact the IT department and see if they can provide this person with training necessary to provide accessible documents to students.

Be diplomatic, but don't be apologetic for using something other than Microsoft's products.

[gradinaruvasile]

Also Google Docs supports docx AFAIK...

[kernelhaxor]

If anything *.docx breaks the de facto standard that MSFT's *.doc had become--and for no real benefit.

thats not true .. If I am not wrong, docx is an open format right?
Isn't that a thousand times better than the closed format doc?
Sure we don't have much software that can read and write docx files as of now but it will slowly get there .. at least now we have an open format

[newbie2]

Specifically, the judgment orders Microsoft to stop selling Word products "that have the capability of opening a .XML, .DOCX, or .DOCM file ('an XML file') containing custom XML."
http://washingtontechnology.com/Articles/2009/08/14/Federal-future-Microsoft-Word-uncertain.aspx?Page=2


"The evidence at trial established that Microsoft was aware that i4i had obtained a patent in support of its XML editing software," the judge writes. "Despite this, Microsoft did not present any evidence (or argue to the jury) that it ever conducted any investigation regarding the patent or i4i’s products."

In fact, Microsoft developers had met with i4i and expected that Word would simply bury that company's products.

The opinion quotes an email message from one a Microsoft developer: "we saw [i4i’s products] some time ago and met its creators. Word 11 will make it obsolete."

http://www.itwire.com/content/view/27021/53/1/1/

Your teacher(s) should read this : http://www.odfalliance.org/
;)

[Tristam Green]

Office 07 is perfectly capable of saving in .doc format, docx is just a deliberate breaking of backwards compatibility to force people to upgrade to 0ffice 07, complete with its horrible new interface.

Except that you don't need to upgrade to Office 07 from 03 to read .docx, .xlsx, or .pptx file extensions. Microsoft has a Compatibility pack available for Office 03 installations that handles them perfectly.

Should I mark the thread solved?:lolflag:

[Polygon]

vista also has a program that doesn't even require office that translates docx into doc.

but why can't you read this particular file? Was there some weird formatting or tables or something else that made it appear broken in open office? Last year in school i dealt with a lot of docx files and they all opened fine in Open office 3.

and if all else fails, upload the docx file to google docs, then export it back to odf.

[stinger30au]

this online conversion site might some in handy

http://www.zamzar.com/

so long as they have the newest service pack installed on office 2007 they should be able to save the files on odf format etc, so i have been lead to believe

[Brunellus]

The annoyance is:

1) It's a format change for no reason, and a technical answer given by

2) Someone who insists on cc:ing the whole effin' school when what she should be doing is running a proper mailing-list.

"good-enough" formatting, well, isn't.

[kerry_s]

abiword can read *.docx too. :lolflag:

[mamamia88]

my professors are at least tech savy enough to use doc thankfully

[running_rabbit07]

I had the same problem with my A+ teacher of all people last semester. He told me that if I needed the format changed that I would have to go to the computer lab at the college and open it there then save it to whatever I wanted. I was steamed.

BTW, off subject, where's your Lemming in your avatar?

[NovaAesa]

All my profs use .pdf, I guess I'm lucky!

[warreno]

If anything *.docx breaks the de facto standard that MSFT's *.doc had become--and for no real benefit.

I don't know precisely what a camel's anus tastes like, but I imagine it's a lot like clicking a file and discovering it's .docx.

There is nothing good nor useful about this format. XML does it better and more compactly, and as you suggest there was no good reason for it to be shat out upon an otherwise innocent world.

We shouldn't have to use translators. The only reason we do is because MS felt left out, and foisted this rough beast upon our sleeping Bethlehem one day.

[ssam]

thats not true .. If I am not wrong, docx is an open format right?
Isn't that a thousand times better than the closed format doc?
Sure we don't have much software that can read and write docx files as of now but it will slowly get there .. at least now we have an open format

yes its a ISO standard, but there are a lot of complaints that its process of getting accepted by ISO was unusual and irregular.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standardization_of_Office_Open_XML

[thisllub]

Office 07 is perfectly capable of saving in .doc format, docx is just a deliberate breaking of backwards compatibility to force people to upgrade to 0ffice 07, complete with its horrible new interface.

That interface isn't too bad once you get used to it.
The only problem is that it is very touchy.

I like the floating toolbar on double click, I don't like that it disappears when you try to click something.

[cascade9]

office 07 is perfectly capable of saving in .doc format, docx is just a deliberate breaking of backwards compatibility to force people to upgrade to 0ffice 07, complete with its horrible new interface.

+1

[Warpnow]

.docx is much better for linux than .doc.

With .doc files you will have formatting differences between word processors, but docx is open and should be much easier to make work with every word processor. Its new, though, and like all new things will take time to mature.

[emrys]

While is true that Open office and the like opens .docx files, I would not say that it supports it. The compatibility problems are so vast and ugly that it becomes practically unusable.

We should look for solutions to what is probably the #1 problem for new users right now: http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/20877/

[Jimleko211]

I'm confused...you're yelling about a .docx file, but it says the email that you quoted that you only have to ask for a .doc. WHy hasn't anyone talked about that?

[linux.convert]

I think the new '07 word format is improved, everything is grouped together, but the lack of backwards compatability with the .docx is absolutely ridiculous. I'm taking a class right now, that has to have everything in .docx, and I have Hardy on my laptop.

[Firestem4]

RANT ON

My law school careers service distributed what promised to be an illuminating document in *.docx format--that's MSFT's new format for Word 2007 and later.

RANT OFF

Thats kind of interesting. I've been under the impression Corel is used almost explicitly within Law firms and such.

[macogw]

Open office 2.4 supports .docx files.

FTFY

Ubuntu uses Go-OOo, so we've had docx support since OOo 2.4 (maybe earlier?)

[Eviltechie]

It's kind of a pain at school. The we only have office 03, so the teachers have to remind everybody to save their stuff in the right format so that they can be worked on at school.

[madjr]

FTFY

Ubuntu uses Go-OOo, so we've had docx support since OOo 2.4 (maybe earlier?)

o i didn't know we were using go-OOo cool

sneaky sneaky

[Frak]

It's kind of a pain at school. The we only have office 03, so the teachers have to remind everybody to save their stuff in the right format so that they can be worked on at school.
Tell your teachers to install the compatiblity plugin (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=941B3470-3AE9-4AEE-8F43-C6BB74CD1466&displaylang=en).