Daniel Carrera wrote:
Jason Faulkner wrote:
Here is another article that gives an MS spin. *We need to be in this
discussion, as the defenders of ODF!*
http://informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=170700325
"Microsoft will not support OpenDocument in its next version of Office
12<http://www.crn.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=166401171&flatPage=true>because
it is an inferior file format and is not compatible with older
versions of Office, one Microsoft executive said this week after the
report was released."
Which of course is a bunch of BS. Even if the compatability issue was
real (it isn't) it would still miss the point entirely. Is Microsoft
going to stop supporting Plain Text because it can't fully represent
MS Office data? Or RTF? Or Word Perfect? How come Microsoft doesn't
drop support for every other format on the basis that it is not fully
compatible with MS Office?
It's not like Microsoft is being required to make OpenDocument their
one and only format. They are merely being asked to *support* it. That
is, to add an entry under their "Save As" dialog for ODF.
Cheers,
Daniel.
MS's strategy looks ideal for us at the moment. They appear to be
digging in to stem the defections. They will eventually have to adopt
OpenDocument -- and would probably make that commitment after a dozen or
so States line up with Mass and some of the migrations show effect.
It's ideal. By the time Office declares support for OpenDocument (say,
next summer leading up to Vista's & Office 12's releases), we will have
the necessary toe-hold, but a coordinated messaging campaign that open
standards have taken up the lead is essential...not a campaign reactive
to Microsoft's message. That requires leadership and coordination.
Calm, collected, determined and certain are the demeanors that win the
day -- and this will play out all through 2005 and 2006. The story will
be: "Which state now has joined Mass? Wow! Here comes Michigan, now New
Jersey, super: California!" We can't just sit here, we need to get every
State CIO's office informed. This is a perfect challenge for our
distributed volunteer ranks.
Who's going to take up the standard and lead?
-Sam
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