Microsoft trying to quash OpenDocument

[pking123-rieW9WUcm8FFJ04o6PK0Fg at public.gmane.org]

> The big issue here as I see it is that the state of
> Mass. has informed its software vendors that it plans
> to standardize on the OpenDocument file format and
> will only purchase software capable of doing this.
> 
> M$ has declined the request and will not include 
> "Open" or "Save As" OpenDocument format files in
> future version of Word. Why? Because they know better.

I read this too, but I am not sure that they "don't care". If they 
are going to take the line of attack they are doing, it is because 
their lawyers told them not to support it, because it would weaken 
their attack of the technology.

> 
> The last time someone told me they did not have what I
> wanted I went somewhere else and Mass. will do the
> same, big deal. M$ is not trying to "quash"
> OpenDocument they just don't care what the customer
> wants, is this new for M$? I think not.
> 

I am quite sure that MS cares about the format and would not find it 
hard to write drivers for it. However, even if they did, that is not 
the issue in my view. The issue for MS is that an open document 
standard invites the possibility of competition from other vendors 
where none was possible before. An open standard is also something 
they can no longer "embrace and extend" as they had for all the other 
standards. This will hurt their bottom line, and lighten the iron 
grip they now have on the market. This is why MS wants to kill it. 
And, as your interesting article reference shows, even to the point 
of misrepresenting it ("close down" the OpenDocument standard for 
example).

> groklaw has been following this story since the start,
> here's the latest one. 
> http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20050929134232923
> 
> and there is a very good OGG of the last meeting which
> I viewed but can't find the link.
> 
> 
> 
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