02.28.09
Novell Pollutes GNU/Linux, Microsoft Almost Pollutes ODF
Summary: Novell spreads .NET and Microsoft wants to bring proprietary extensions to ODF.
NOVELL takes pride in one of those arbitrary awards (susceptible to corruption by bribes) which was granted to Mono. Does Novell not realise the patent implications for companies other than Novell, especially now that Microsoft uses its de facto standards to sue Linux? Putting Mono inside GNU/Linux is asking for trouble.
On a similar note, Microsoft is trying to pollute a competitor of OOXML. Having spotted this message, there are further complaints about Microsoft's attempts to ruin ODF from the inside.
Doug Mahugh of Microsoft is pushing inside the ODF Technical Committee for proprietary extensions, by which the monopolist vendor could embrace and extend the format to “innovate”. The extensions possibility is the door open to proprietary closed source parts, that renders the ODF customer a Microsoft slave once again like in the good old times of the .DOC.
Microsoft’s own OOXML-esque implementations (these vary all the time) are already polluted by proprietary extensions and Microsoft employees try to do the same ODF. How gullible do they assume people are? █
“In one piece of mail people were suggesting that Office had to work equally well with all browsers and that we shouldn’t force Office users to use our browser. This Is wrong and I wanted to correct this.
“Another suggestion In this mail was that we can’t make our own unilateral extensions to HTML I was going to say this was wrong and correct this also.”
–Bill Gates [PDF]
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Friend said,
February 28, 2009 at 10:23 am
why doesnt ms go away and leave everyone alone ? looks like they are fighting tooth and nail to sabotage everything that is open source/free software.
why dont they just mind their own software and fix their bugs and work on releasing vista 7 rather than chasing google/linux/whatever…
Dan O'Brian said,
February 28, 2009 at 11:31 am
One could argue that they are simply trying to add the necessary features to ODF so that it’s suitable to use for Microsoft Office. When Microsoft came out with OOXML, everyone attacked them for not just using ODF. Now that they are using ODF, the same people attack them.
Go figure.
Needs Sunlight said,
February 28, 2009 at 12:16 pm
@O’Brian: you have a funny definition of ‘using’ ODF.
David Gerard said,
February 28, 2009 at 12:16 pm
One could indeed argue that, were one being disingenuous. If they want to add the necessary features to ODF, they need to add the necessary features out in the open – not say “hand us a wild card pls kthx.”
Roy Schestowitz said,
February 28, 2009 at 12:20 pm
A lobster or crab can ‘use’ a shell sometimes.
Myfraudsoft said,
February 28, 2009 at 2:21 pm
Microsoft just wants to embed proprietary binary blobs such as COM in odf files.
Roy Schestowitz said,
February 28, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Don’t let Microsoft lay its proprietary eggs inside the ODF nest (or host). Many businesses, governments, universities, end users and software vendors depend on this ‘nest’.
Darren said,
February 28, 2009 at 3:16 pm
If MS want to help ODF so much, why didn’t they help when they had the chance. They were members of OASIS when ODF was being developed and were approached, but decided to keep quiet.
I guess they didn’t think it would come to much. They thought wrong.
Roy Schestowitz said,
February 28, 2009 at 3:23 pm
They declined the invitation to join an effort to make universal, accessible formats. Instead, the company decided to shuffle its binary formats and do whatever it takes to call them “open” (even if it means hijacking the “Open Office” brand and putting “XML” next to it, then bribing lots of people).