Open XML Trap, From Microsoft With Love
January 17th 2007 20:18
Clearly Microsoft is trying to get under the skin of open source then deviously tear it apart from the inside.
Open XML (OOXML) is a list of specifications for the file format of several document types such as memos, spreadsheets, documents amongst others, it is to be used in Microsoft Office 2007. Microsoft has also gained approval from Ecma to make OOXML an open standard.
So what's wrong about it? Well this OOXML specification is heavily biased towards Microsoft, read in and out, it simply is promoting Microsoft based software.
The reason why this strikes a cord with me and quite possibly amongst the open source community is the fact OOXML is released as free under a license from Microsoft. As a so-called ‘open standard’ and as such free to use it can easily gain traction within what Microsoft claims to be ex-competitors.
Some might think Microsoft has turned over a new leaf, well probably not, given Microsoft’s recent track record. A recent example of this sort of behaviour would be with what Microsoft did with the Java programming language, licensing version 1.4 of Java from Sun Microsystems they renamed it as J# (pronounced ‘J-Sharp’) for the .Net platform. After which they proceeded to infringe on the license modifying the J# compiler sufficiently enough to justify a lawsuit filed by Sun Microsystems.
Microsoft then claimed they had done nothing wrong, Tony Goodhew, product manager for Microsoft .NET claimed that:
This of course was not true, first and foremost Sun Microsystems licensed Microsoft the programming language it created, secondly if Sun was desperate it would have to have credible reason, it appears Microsoft believed that Sun was desperate to keep it from enhancing the language, however Sun correctly claimed that Microsoft was in fact changing the language completely.
What would Microsoft gain from such a move? Simply capturing Java programmers, by introducing new features that did not go cross platform and did not compile with other Java compilers programmers would be reluctant to move back to the standard Java language.
Is this what Microsoft is attempting to do with OOXML? To get into it, set it as standard then cut off this standard they created so that open source software would be left in the dark?
My guess is yes, as history has taught us, with Microsoft it is always best to assume they will do the most evil.
On a slightly different note this reminds me of what Microsoft did with the internet browser they licensed for their operating system years ago. The license stated that a certain percentage of the sale of each copy of the software would be given to the licensee, so guess what they did? They gave the internet browser away for free hence not requiring to pay the licensee anything yet still making a neat profit by bundling it with their operating system. Talk about evil.
OOXML
So what's wrong about it? Well this OOXML specification is heavily biased towards Microsoft, read in and out, it simply is promoting Microsoft based software.
The reason why this strikes a cord with me and quite possibly amongst the open source community is the fact OOXML is released as free under a license from Microsoft. As a so-called ‘open standard’ and as such free to use it can easily gain traction within what Microsoft claims to be ex-competitors.
Microsoft simply wants to stick this in your PC and nothing else
Microsoft then claimed they had done nothing wrong, Tony Goodhew, product manager for Microsoft .NET claimed that:
"Sun has referenced the [Visual J# .NET] tool in their lawsuit, but they have no basis for doing so except in furthering their acts of desperation,"
This of course was not true, first and foremost Sun Microsystems licensed Microsoft the programming language it created, secondly if Sun was desperate it would have to have credible reason, it appears Microsoft believed that Sun was desperate to keep it from enhancing the language, however Sun correctly claimed that Microsoft was in fact changing the language completely.
What would Microsoft gain from such a move? Simply capturing Java programmers, by introducing new features that did not go cross platform and did not compile with other Java compilers programmers would be reluctant to move back to the standard Java language.
Is this what Microsoft is attempting to do with OOXML? To get into it, set it as standard then cut off this standard they created so that open source software would be left in the dark?
My guess is yes, as history has taught us, with Microsoft it is always best to assume they will do the most evil.
On a slightly different note this reminds me of what Microsoft did with the internet browser they licensed for their operating system years ago. The license stated that a certain percentage of the sale of each copy of the software would be given to the licensee, so guess what they did? They gave the internet browser away for free hence not requiring to pay the licensee anything yet still making a neat profit by bundling it with their operating system. Talk about evil.
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