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Plugins for Microsoft Office for OpenOffice Documents?

Posted by Cliff on from the interoperability-is-good dept.

DeBaas asks: "We are all in favour of getting Open Standards in place so that we can happily use Open/Star/K Office or whatever without the nagging problem: The Microsoft Office users cannot read our files correctly. Much of the focus is on providing filters to be able to make and read Microsoft Office files. However, should it not be the other way around, as well? Would it be feasible to make an open source project providing a plugin to MS office so that it can read and write in our preferred open format. Sort of a 'save as open document standard'. Is there a legal problem?, a technical problem? (is it already possible?) I would love it if I could send documents in OpenOffice knowing the other site can actually use and see it the way I meant to, even with MicroSoft Office."

3 of 89 comments (clear)

  1. Re:That seems like a good idea at first, but... by IIEFreeMan · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They will use OpenOffice.org because it's free and i mean not expensive.

    To the public the more important thing is more 'free as in beer' than 'free as in speech'.

  2. Re:That seems like a good idea at first, but... by Darnit · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Not even close to the target. If OpenOffice can read/write MS Office files then the people will send it to you in MS Office format anyway. If they can also read/write OpenOffice files then it is a perfect 2 way street using the default configuration of either Office suite. By showing them that OO files can do everything MS files can do they will consider the switch. Otherwise they will never see the OO format and never think it could be done.

  3. Re:That seems like a good idea at first, but... by topside420 · · Score: 5, Insightful
    This seems like a good idea initially, but if people can continue using MS Office to communicate with users of OpenOffice.org and StarOffice, then what encouragement do they have to use the free/less expensive alternatives? I think that, while this might encourage a standard document format, it has the negative effect of encouraging MS Office use.

    I hate to say this, but I think in this case the wise choice is to use MS's tactics against itself.

    Please stop your lame anti-MS FUD. The problem is not that a lot of people are using MS Office and we want them to use OpenOffice/KWord/etc. It is that we want all the offices to be able to open/save documents in a common format.

    In fact, last week, I forgot to put my name on my paper when I saved it. So, when I was at school, I got on my ftp then realized I had saved it as a native OpenOffice document, so I was unable to add my name - and I lost points. Something like this can easily be avoided by all office programs being able to easily comply with AT LEAST one open format.

    I especially dont think we should use MS's tactics against MS. We don't like MS simply *because* of its tactics. I could care less if they made a shitty OS - but, its thier tactics that make it so widespread and monopolized.

    Again, I repeat -- I am not concerned with other peoples choice of office software, as long as it suits them, but it would be better for the masses if each office suite shared a nice file format.