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Microsoft Eases Licensing On Office 2003 Formats

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the opening-up dept.

kfiller writes "Microsoft has negotiated a deal with the state of Massachusetts to lower licensing restrictions on the Excel and Word XML formats in Office 2003, in exchange for the state to reconsider their focus on adopting 'open standards' to adopting 'open formats'. Is this just another move to encroach on the open source community?"

3 of 208 comments (clear)

  1. they do that all the time by ssbljk · · Score: 0, Redundant

    remember \n\r vs \n
    and HTML almost became "IE format", not standard... blah

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    /ss
  2. money money money by cybersaga · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Is this just another move to encroach on the open source community?

    No, of course not. This is just another move to make money.
    Microsoft is a business, they make money. Just like if you owned a business and customers started going to your competitor, you would do all you can to keep your customers coming to you.
    Money drives everything. Haven't you learned?

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    Web Design Tips
  3. anti-corporation? by icepick72 · · Score: 0, Redundant
    Last sentence of the article: However, it remains to be seen if their actions will bring popular approval to Microsoft as a recognized member, or just another corporation looking for a way in.

    It's the wording that makes me ill. How about: we're glad to have you join. I mean, in spirit of free and open software, shouldn't it be an open club instead of a closed circle? Why not welcome their efforts and their baby steps and hope they actually make it? Over the years the more I read various articles about open source the more sick I get of anti-corporation speak -- not because they don't deserve some of it -- but because it just gets boring after a while. I think the two camps could turn a lot of that negative energy into real solutions ... don't like something? ... work to fix it instead of complaining and taking a chance to put down the other guy. Ya, I realize it's more complicated and that and may never work in the format I laid out here; you just caught me in an overly-idealistic mood.