Re: Apple Shooting Self In Foot

On Thu, 01 Dec 2005 13:17:14 -0800, Michael J. Mahon wrote:

> Local Account wrote:
>> Think you won't see this propaganda tidbit? Microsoft Office Open XML
>> will be submitted to Ecma with the support of Apple Computer!
>> Microsoft couldn't pray for better PR.
>>
>> I don't understand Apple Computer's decision to stand by Microsoft in
>> it's bid to get Massachusetts to standardize on Microsoft-centric
>> vaporware. Why not instead affirm it's support for the OASIS
>> OpenDocument Format, a global standard that is here now. This standard
>> levels the field for all players involved, including Microsoft. The
>> management at IBM has it's priorities straight and understands that
>> public documents should not be solely controlled by two-time convicted
>> felons.
>
> Jeez, get a life.
>
> XML is an excellent way of standardizing data formats for interchange,
> with a long tradition of open specification, and lots of public tools
> for its parsing and manipulation.
>
> You need something more important to worry about...
>
> -michael
>
> Music synthesis for 8-bit Apple II's! Home page:
> http://members.aol.com/MJMahon/
>
> "The wastebasket is our most important design tool--and it is seriously
> underused."

If you think this is not important than you are blithely ignoring the
realities involved. No, this is critically important and obviously some
pretty important people share this viewpoint. A lot of political stops
are being pulled out to stop the ODF decision dead in its tracks. The CIO
of Massachusetts, Peter Quinn, recently received front page notoriety
for not fully reporting trips he took during his promotion of the
OpenDocument format. While we have documents showing Microsoft's lobbyists
paying for big trips for the former House Majority Leader and his family
to go to England and Scotland, Mr. Quinn seems to be getting the front
page Boston Globe spotlight for incomplete travel records.

OpenDocument is a file format, based on XML and developed within the OASIS
(Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards) Web
consortium, that covers the features required by text, spreadsheets,
charts and graphical documents. Huge swaths of the industry are behind
ODF, they include Oracle, IBM, Adobe, Boeing, Sun. Red Hat Inc, Corel Corp
and Google.

Thanks for pointing out the benefits of XML. ODF is a developers dream. A
stark contrast to Microsoft's proposed XML "standard", which they've
pulled out the blue as a last resort to thwart the ODF initiative.
Undoubtedly it will be obfuscated crap subject to change at their whim.

The new Microsoft dictated standard (should be here in a year, maybe
two) grants developers only a very limited set of rights that are
insufficient to implement Microsoft's XML format in both read and write.
Any entity wishing to do more than Microsoft has explicitly granted would
have to negotiate their own license. Such a license would, one suspects,
involve the transfer of money or rights. It can't be in Apples best
interest to support this when something is better and available NOW. I
believe it is stupid. Prove me otherwise.

More details on the Microsoft's terms at:
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20050330133833843&query=marbux#A4
.