Germany and ODF

As we recently came to discover, Germany is among the faster adopters of OpenDocument format [1, 2]. As more proof of this, consider yesterday's new evidence of increased vendor support for OpenOffice.org. In addition, remember the consultancy which was built around KOffice, specifically in Germany. The ball is rolling.

Red Hat on ODF

Red Hat speaks about OOXML and ISO. It remains very apathetic towards OOXML, no matter the outcome Microsoft bought for itself.

ODF is a simpler format that is easier to process, and less tied to legacy issues found in Microsoft office software. Open source office software is available for ODF formats. Red Hat, like many open source companies, will continue to support ODF and encourage governments to adopt ODF instead of OOXML.

Texas Hears from ODF Supporter

Texas was among the states that were prepared to make pro-ODF legislation [1, 2, 3, 4], only to find itself caving to systematic lobbying campaigns and bald-faced bullying. It may be considered "old news" by now, but it doesn't lessen the seriousness of Microsoft's actions, which must never be seen as less severe. Microsoft's aggressive battle against ODF has gone on for quite some time. Only a single company (and those whom it paid) could afford to fight an entire industry, academic institutes and even governments, all of whom fostered real standards rather than an application (Microsoft Office)

Andy Updegrove, whose only interest is to protect standards and permit competition to exist, spoke in Texas about the considerations at hand.

I believe that it is important that we recognize the concept of what I will refer to as "Civil ICT Rights" – rights such as freedom of speech, and freedom of association, that we increasingly exercise on line, rather than in person. I am happy to report to you that certain interoperability standards can play an essential role in guaranteeing our Civil ICT Rights. Not surprisingly, I call such standards "Civil ICT Standards." By adopting the right standards, the State can help ensure that any citizen, anytime, and from anywhere, can interact with her government electronically – even with many modern cell phones.

For those who favour videos (and can tolerate Adobe Flash), below are a couple from last year. ⬆

Supporters of California AB 1668



Mark Leno on CA Open Formats Bill at Committee Hearing