rants


Archive for the ‘ooxml’ Category

Microsoft behaviour on OOXML pokes ESR

Tuesday, September 4th, 2007

Eric Raymond is back and has written, with his very recognizable style, that he dislikes what Microsoft is doing to get OOXML approved by the International Standards Organization.  Good old ESR is so disgusted by the maneuvers to destroy ISO’s credibility only to maintain Microsoft’s monopoly on Office that he is willing to change his mind about Open Source Initiative’s position:

OSI will treat any licenses submitted to Microsoft strictly on their merits, without fear or favor. That remains OSI’s position. But…

Yes, there is a but, he says:

Despite my previous determination, I find I’m almost ready to recommend that OSI tell Microsoft to ram its licenses up one of its own orifices, even if they are technically OSD compliant. Because what good is it to conform to the letter of OSD if you’re raping its spirit?

I agree with ESR: who cares if some of Microsoft’s license technically grant four freedoms (or 9 principles). The problem is that Microsoft is not being a good member of the digital society, it’s still acting as a bully in the school backyard.

Now I wish Eric recognized that what he said means that OSI is about moral principles as much as FSFs are and there is nothing to be ashamed for this.

Free digital Europe needs good lobbyists

Thursday, June 28th, 2007

The questions Roberto poses to lobbyist Florian Mueller gave me to think about the current file format war and the role of medium/large European companies.  It impresses me how many of them still have no idea of what mess the specification of OOXML are, how bad it will be for them on the market to have it approved by ISO.

I’m glad that it’s Roberto saying the following:

I invite medium to large IT European companies to think about it, and invest money to lobby. Now.

I hope they listen.

OOXML: a picture is worth 1000 words

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2007

Architects are taught from day one at school that pictures are worth a thousand words if you want to describe something.  Look at the picture of the specifications of Microsoft OOXML standard: doesn’t it scream Interoperability is IMPOSSIBLE to you?

The printed spec of OOXML

Read more on Pavel’s diary

And you call this a community?

Thursday, May 10th, 2007

Oh, come on!? This is not a community, it’s a list of companies  that are doing business with Microsoft and have been doing so for a looooong time. There is no space for discussions, comments, hints and tips, chats or any other form of interaction.  Anybody that agrees that his

Company Name and URL may be published on this website and shared with ISO national standards bodies.

What is Microsoft trying to demonstrate here? That they have many partners? It’s not a secret, we all know it already.  How that site is going to demonstrate that OpenXML deserves to be called an ‘open standard‘ is beyond my understanding. Unless Microsoft really thinks that the ISO national standards bodies can be fooled by a list of companies on a useless web site.

Hiser analizes OOXML license

Tuesday, January 16th, 2007

Sam Hiser has started giving a look at Microsoft’s Office Open XML License.  His first reading classify this license as

a promise that, in practice, is not a promise.

PlexNex: Analyzing the Microsoft Office Open XML License

What do you think of it?