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Microsoft Deprecating Some OOXML Functionality

Posted by Zonk on from the dotting-the-is-crossing-the-ts dept.

christian.einfeldt writes "According to open standards advocate Russell Ossendryver, Microsoft will be deprecating certain functionality in its Microsoft Office Open XML specification. Ossendryver says the move is an attempt to quiet critics of the specification in the run up to the crucial February ISO vote. The Microsoft-led industry standards group formally offering OOXML confirms in a 21 December 2007 announcement that issues related to the 'leap year bug', VML, compatibility settings such as 'AutoSpaceLikeWord95' and others will be 'extracted from the main specification and relocated to an independent annex in DIS 29500 for deprecated functionality.'"

5 of 138 comments (clear)

  1. Now the waiting game... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Let's see if anybody changes their mind now that most of the criticisms of OOXML are being addressed. I'm interested to see how many people were opposing it for technical reasons and how many were opposing because it's Microsoft.

    The article, for those you don't read it, is definitely in the latter camp.

    1. Re:Now the waiting game... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

      Please point out my obvious troll! I made a serious point. A lot of people on Slashdot only hate the idea of OOXML because Microsoft wrote it.

      Now, are you going to discuss it or hide behind the moderation system?

    2. Re:Now the waiting game... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

      Of course! I'm posting anonymously and I don't agree with you, therefore I must be a paid shill for Microsoft! Use your brains for just 5 minutes and then carve this into your wrists - neither you nor Slashdot is important enough to troll with paid shills. Nobody who makes decisions for big business posts or reads your shit.

      The reason I'm posting anonymously is so that pompous cunts like you can't completely trash my karma just because I posted an opinion you don't like, especially on an issue like this.

      In response to your points:

      1. This is supposition not borne up by the current facts.
      2. ODF is 'patent encumbered'.
      3. Yes it can, and has been by Apple and Novell's OOXML OO.o plugin.
      4. Yes it does relieve them of the burden of implementing deprecated features. That's the entire point of deprecating something.

      So the reasons you 'hate' it, which is a seriously strong word for what boils down to a text document, are complete shite anyway. Good to know.

  2. Re:Smoke and Mirrors by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Don't be a jackass. No one is holding a gun to your head to use any standard. And no government has "mandated" OOXML. This is all just a bunch of anti-M$ fan boys frothing at the mouth. So typical, and the primary reason no one takes you dirty hippies seriously.

  3. Re:deprecated but widely used by MS software? by Bafoon · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    until OO gets it act together i really don't care about crying babies whyning about MS. because guess what.almost none of you here will ever write one of these documents by hand.EVER. yet you will bitch about it and scream how much microsoft stinks and how it's doing something evil that actually affects YOUR life. How come must windows users and programmers have no problem with this or OO? For one anything microsoft throws out is well documented and for some reason microsoft actually produces products that work.Especially for developers. Do you actually believe windows developers actually want to touch OO? No. Microsoft is a giant it may have business practices that you don't like.But in the end it makes development easier. Another reason why you linux dwarfs are years behind the competition. Too busy in fighting some imaginary crusade on standards and doing absolutely nothing in implementing it or actually prodicing development tools that would increase the number of developers your platform has. This is why this certification WILL happen.It's just a matter of time when. Microsoft takes care of developers.Developers are the ones who make this who software word turn around.And no matter what some of the anti-microsoft trolls have to say if developers choose 1 standard...that one will stick. Not even Hillary Clinton can change that.You simply can't froce someone to use a standard just because you think it's more fair. It's about documentation, support and tools.And face it...that is a field where microsoft has no competition. Googling up for solutions and looking them up in forums(do i hear linux users trying to say smth?) is not acceptable.