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MS Announces Open XML Formats Developer Group
Andy Updegrove writes to tell us that Microsoft has responded to the recently formed ODF Alliance with a group of their own, the Open XML Formats Developer Group. From the article: "At launch, the new forum has either 39 or 40 members (the site is internally inconsistent on this point), the most prominent of which are Apple, Intel and Toshiba. [...] Despite the long list of founding members, it appears that the forum is purely informational in nature. A review of the site indicates that no specific initiatives are planned to be undertaken by the forum. Instead, it will provide information and provide a place for developers to pose questions, post content, and engage in discussion."
How many of these 'founding members' are just hedging their bets by being in both this and the ODF Alliance group? And how do file formats matter to a company like Intel; they shouldn't care what office suite someone's using, as long as it running on their CPUs, yes?
The forum actually has 40 members, but one of them was ducking a flying chair at the time you must have been looking.
What to do? WHAT TO DO??
Am I supposed to hate this Developer Group because it was founded by Microsoft, or should I love this Developer Group because Apple is a member?
Must...keep...head...from...exploding
The link for the name Andy Updegrove should link to
http://www.consortiuminfo.org/newsblog.
Now, that the OSS world has critized it, there will be all sorts of discussions about nothing. IOW, it will still be informational, but with a lot of spin.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
Gates noted that the new group, to be known as the Open XML Formats Developer Group, brings together three of his favorite words--"open," "XML," and "developer." "No organization is good unless you put 'open' " in there, Gates said.
So when exactly can we expect MicroOpenSoft to release OpenWindows?
Slashdot Burying Stories About Slashdot Media Owned
If you standardize the standards, only standards will be standardized.
I bet people in Redmond spend a lot of time walking into doors these days
Don't let THEM immanentize the Eschaton!
"Microsoft" and "open"... damn, I must be having a stroke.
My sig is too lon
Then Linus should form the Federation! he is the good guy after all! (mod: -1, offtopic).
Am I supposed to hate this Developer Group because it was founded by Microsoft, or should I love this Developer Group because Apple is a member?
That fallacy goes by the name of false dilemma.
A review of the site indicates that no specific initiatives are planned to be undertaken by the forum. Instead, it will provide information and provide a place for developers to pose questions, post content, and engage in discussion.
So, essentially, they're going to sit around and chat, but not actually do anything.
Now you know why Microsoft products are the way they are.
And as long as I'm here, I might as well tell a joke. So Gates comes back from his honeymoon, and his wife says, "Now I know why you named it Microsoft."
PS: Mod Insightful, not Funny, please.
and it should also be added to as many closed-source apps as possible.
Hey, Corel! This means you! No, really. Get it to it!
My blog
Post in bin mode only, please. Posts that contain any raw XML will confuse the XML DOM interpreter that runs the forum. All use of interpolated greater than or less than signs is strictly prohibited.
Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.
First a new alliance around ODF pops up. Then Microsoft creates a counter announcement to make it look like they're encouraging "collaboration." You can tell they did this as a knee-jerk reaction based on how little this new consotrium offers.
There are no technical articles that have been published
no specific initiatives are planned to be undertaken by the forum
we're making it up as we go
So in other words, a bunch of groups were hoping the worlds' documents don't go proprietary and decided to join so they'd have some say on the matter. Then Microsoft capitalizes on the fact that they joined. Clever.
Open like a child safety cap on a prescription bottle or open like as in open to all? I hesitate to think about this too much fearing that my head may explode and make quite a mess of my monitor.
I lost my sig...
So, we have no complete schemas (even draft), no technical articles, and no stated direction. We do have blog posts that are great (from a Microsoft technical evangelist).
And yet, we have the following.
Of course, none of this is published on their web site. How do you set up code samples for an XML formate without a working and validating schema?
This entire web site sounds like it serves four purposes:
In short, nothing of note to see here. Move along. This is not the open document standard you're looking for.
so it's basicly better than the ODF Alliance in every way? cool.
A review of the site indicates that no specific initiatives are planned to be undertaken by the forum. Instead, it will provide information and provide a place for developers to pose questions, post content, and engage in discussion.
So basically, they plan to set up a domain and install phpBB?
I'm afraid the marketing people have had their filthy little mitts all over this, removing every last shred of information. Presumably a consortium of multiple multinational corporations is going to do something, but it sounds as if even they don't know what they are going to do.
FTA "... and there are no books out on Open XML Formats development yet". then from the ad at the bottom of the page:"(and remember to Buy Your Books at Biff's)"
Kinda sums up the article.
Why has Apple signed up to this - to ensure microsoft continues MS Office for mac support?
I can't say i'm too worried about Intel and Toshiba supporting the format.
That is unless intel or toshiba make "Open-DRM" hardware chips to stop "secure" MS Office files from being read by non-trusted programs like OpenOffice.
Sorry, but this thread is still short on anti-microsoft conspiracy stories!
XML advocacy site + third party organization to validate well-formedness = the obvious
ODF isn't even an open format, it actually contains several proprietary parts that are patented by Sun.
...a door slammed in someone's face. Seriously: "...it will provide information and provide a place for developers to pose questions, post content, and engage in discussion."? I think I speak for most when I say, whatever.
Both Sun and Microsoft have been busy trying to compete with open source by attempting to redefine the meanings of terms like "open" and "free". The Microsoft Office XML formats are not open, because in order to use them, you need a license from Microsoft. The same is true for crucial pieces of the Sun Java language and libraries.
It's important not to let these companies get away with such sleazy tactics and to make sure that both customers and users understand that if they agree to terms of companies like Sun and Microsoft, they accept similar risks to when they buy proprietary, closed source software.
In the words of the late and great actor, "Oh, I'm coming to join you Elizabeth!"
Instead, it will provide information and provide a place for developers to pose questions, post content, and engage in discussion.
MS have put up a wiki?