Wed, 28 Jun 2023 13:41:10 +0300 - Lars Noodén via Dng <dng@???>:


> > Problem here is that such formats should be "real" standards... But
> > often in fact they are not. For example, we have two different iso/iec
> > approved standards for documents:
> >
> > OpenXML ISO/IEC 29500<https://www.iso.org/standard/71691.html>
> >
> > ODS ISO/IEC 26300<https://www.iso.org/standard/66363.html>
> >
> > More, standards admit formats can be "extended": each "developer" can
> > add its extensions.
> >
> > Just think of the problems in converting docx documents to odt...
>
> That matter should never come up because there is no software anywhere
> on the planet which actually uses OpenXML ISO/IEC 29500, not even
> Microsoft Office itself. Despite being thousands of pages long, ISO
> 29500 does not contain enough of the spec for anyone to actually
> implement it, unlike ODF which even re-uses established standards as
> components which eases implementation.

Indeed

> The proprietary formats used by Microsoft products only superficially
> resemble the theoretical standard, but are mainly more undocumented,
> proprietary lock-in; a roach motel for your data

Indeed. But Ms is powerful economically and politically, and manages to
cause lock-in everywhere

> The cascade of international scandals surrounding the "approval" of ISO
> 29500 ought to be better documented so they could be better learned
> from. In /each/ country involved, and it happened in /each/ country,
> there was a unique scandal involving their national standards body.
> Each of them hard egregious irregularities with some being quite severe
> and possibly illegal.

> Knowing how M$ works could have possibly
> reduced or avoided the intrigues and politics regarding the take over
> and loss of the Linux Foundation and the maneuvering of the Software
> Freedom Conservancy against the FSF. The Linux Foundation ostensible
> could speak out against IBM and what it is doing via Red Hat, in that
> IBM's actions are a license violation.

Unfortunately, however, in the end, money always wins over legality...


> > And so, goodbye standardization...
> >
> > Some "old" links to remember the ODS vs OOXML "war":
> >
> > Why OpenDocument Won (and Microsoft Office Open XML Didn’t)
> > https://dwheeler.com/essays/why-opendocument-won.html
>
> +1 for David A Wheel's essay

:)

> I'd also add that this one is worth reading,
>
> https://dwheeler.com/essays/opendocument-open.html

+1


Regards
al3xu5

--
Property is theft! (P-J Proudhon) ...today more than ever.
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