Comments on: Some comments on OOXML, ODF and Microsoft Word http://ptsefton.com/2008/05/12/some-comments-on-ooxml-odf-and-microsoft-word.htm "As noble thoughts the inward being grace, So noble whiskers dignify the face." Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:35:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Zsolt Zsoldos http://ptsefton.com/2008/05/12/some-comments-on-ooxml-odf-and-microsoft-word.htm#comment-1850 Zsolt Zsoldos Tue, 13 May 2008 17:18:28 +0000 http://ptsefton.com/2008/05/12/some-comments-on-ooxml-odf-and-microsoft-word.htm#comment-1850 Dean, I understood that you do not want to get involved in the flame-war of the formats. If it was up to me I would rather make everybody use LaTeX for writing documents and plain text for emails (not HTML, doc, ppt with embedded images etc. that I keep getting more and more these days). But LaTeX isn't practical for the masses, and in the past 10 years the binary MS doc format was the de-facto standard which is really bad in my opinion.When ODF was accepted as an ISO standard in 2006 it was a surprise to me and I suddenly felt some hope shining over the horizon, but now MS is pushing full throttle to destroy it by OOXML. That is why I became: ZZ - A proud member of the ODF "cheer squad" Dean, I understood that you do not want to get involved in the flame-war of the formats. If it was up to me I would rather make everybody use LaTeX for writing documents and plain text for emails (not HTML, doc, ppt with embedded images etc. that I keep getting more and more these days). But LaTeX isn’t practical for the masses, and in the past 10 years the binary MS doc format was the de-facto standard which is really bad in my opinion.When ODF was accepted as an ISO standard in 2006 it was a surprise to me and I suddenly felt some hope shining over the horizon, but now MS is pushing full throttle to destroy it by OOXML. That is why I became:

ZZ - A proud member of the ODF “cheer squad”

]]> By: Dean http://ptsefton.com/2008/05/12/some-comments-on-ooxml-odf-and-microsoft-word.htm#comment-1846 Dean Tue, 13 May 2008 08:54:33 +0000 http://ptsefton.com/2008/05/12/some-comments-on-ooxml-odf-and-microsoft-word.htm#comment-1846 ZZ Hope you didn't take my point to mean that I supported OOXML (or even ODF for that matter). For true longevity, I firmly believe that true ASCII-based formats are needed, the simpler the better [XML to a reasonably simple schema for text, something like postscript for images, not sure about some of the more esoteric add-ins that Peter has been playing with!!]. The work that Peter and the ICE crew are doing pretty much achieves exactly that - although my understanding is that they are driven by somewhat different goals. I must confess that I do actually like Word (at least up until v2003) as an authoring tool and have, over the years, done a lot of hacking around in it. That doesn't necessarily mean I particularly like the file format it uses, or the business practices of it's vendor, or the colour of it's eyes, or... ZZ
Hope you didn’t take my point to mean that I supported OOXML (or even ODF for that matter).
For true longevity, I firmly believe that true ASCII-based formats are needed, the simpler the better [XML to a reasonably simple schema for text, something like postscript for images, not sure about some of the more esoteric add-ins that Peter has been playing with!!].
The work that Peter and the ICE crew are doing pretty much achieves exactly that - although my understanding is that they are driven by somewhat different goals.
I must confess that I do actually like Word (at least up until v2003) as an authoring tool and have, over the years, done a lot of hacking around in it. That doesn’t necessarily mean I particularly like the file format it uses, or the business practices of it’s vendor, or the colour of it’s eyes, or…

]]> By: PT’s blog » Blog Archive » More on ODF and OOXML http://ptsefton.com/2008/05/12/some-comments-on-ooxml-odf-and-microsoft-word.htm#comment-1841 PT’s blog » Blog Archive » More on ODF and OOXML Tue, 13 May 2008 06:42:52 +0000 http://ptsefton.com/2008/05/12/some-comments-on-ooxml-odf-and-microsoft-word.htm#comment-1841 [...] Updated converter tableRevised view: how well does the ODF add-in work?I posted yesterday about document formats and applications.Today a couple of additions and a correction.I left the Sun ODF plugin for Microsoft Word off the [...] […] Updated converter tableRevised view: how well does the ODF add-in work?I posted yesterday about document formats and applications.Today a couple of additions and a correction.I left the Sun ODF plugin for Microsoft Word off the […]

]]> By: Zsolt Zsoldos http://ptsefton.com/2008/05/12/some-comments-on-ooxml-odf-and-microsoft-word.htm#comment-1838 Zsolt Zsoldos Mon, 12 May 2008 13:21:07 +0000 http://ptsefton.com/2008/05/12/some-comments-on-ooxml-odf-and-microsoft-word.htm#comment-1838 Yes, the politics are way too strong, mostly from the monopoly side, subverting the ISO process, showing how politics can be manipulated by money, see my collection of links at: http://www.simbiosys.ca/blog/2008/05/11/what-is-wrong-with-ooxml/ Dean, what makes me wonder is this: if you want to focus on a format in which your data will last, then what chance does OOXML has ? When it is only implemented by 1 vendor, who has a history of changing formats to delibaretly break compatibility with every new version of it software. Pete is right, ODF is not perfect, there is a lot of work to be done -- especially in the area of wider software support for it, but at least it is started in the right direction. Which is far more than what we can say about OOXML. The problems of ODF are not a good reason to support something far inferior and purposefully broken like OOXML. ZZ Yes, the politics are way too strong, mostly from the monopoly side, subverting the ISO process, showing how politics can be manipulated by money, see my collection of links at:
http://www.simbiosys.ca/blog/2008/05/11/what-is-wrong-with-ooxml/

Dean, what makes me wonder is this: if you want to focus on a format in which your data will last, then what chance does OOXML has ? When it is only implemented by 1 vendor, who has a history of changing formats to delibaretly break compatibility with every new version of it software.

Pete is right, ODF is not perfect, there is a lot of work to be done — especially in the area of wider software support for it, but at least it is started in the right direction. Which is far more than what we can say about OOXML. The problems of ODF are not a good reason to support something far inferior and purposefully broken like OOXML.

ZZ

]]> By: Dean http://ptsefton.com/2008/05/12/some-comments-on-ooxml-odf-and-microsoft-word.htm#comment-1836 Dean Mon, 12 May 2008 08:48:55 +0000 http://ptsefton.com/2008/05/12/some-comments-on-ooxml-odf-and-microsoft-word.htm#comment-1836 Nicely said Pete! Stay clear of religious factionalism and stick to the only point that matters - getting your data into a format that will last. Keep it up! Nicely said Pete!
Stay clear of religious factionalism and stick to the only point that matters - getting your data into a format that will last. Keep it up!

]]> By: Unilever Centre for Molecular Informatics, Cambridge - petermr’s blog » Blog Archive » Current issues http://ptsefton.com/2008/05/12/some-comments-on-ooxml-odf-and-microsoft-word.htm#comment-1835 Unilever Centre for Molecular Informatics, Cambridge - petermr’s blog » Blog Archive » Current issues Mon, 12 May 2008 07:10:45 +0000 http://ptsefton.com/2008/05/12/some-comments-on-ooxml-odf-and-microsoft-word.htm#comment-1835 [...] Word OOXML ODT etc. Peter Sefton: Some comments on OOXML, ODF and Microsoft Word [...] […] Word OOXML ODT etc. Peter Sefton: Some comments on OOXML, ODF and Microsoft Word […]

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