Massachusetts Should Close Down OpenDocument

FOX News ^ | September 28, 2005 | James Prendergast

[Golden Eagle]

The broader media usually take little interest in public policy debates about technology, but they’re missing a big story in Massachusetts.

The technology trades, blogs and industry are buzzing about a monumental policy shift in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Officials in the state have proposed a new policy that mandates that every state technology system use only applications designed around OpenDocument file formats.

Such a policy might seem like something that should concern only a small group of technology professionals, but in fact the implications are staggering and far-reaching. The policy promises to burden taxpayers with new costs and to disrupt how state agencies interact with citizens, businesses and organizations.

Worse, the policy represents an attack on market-based competition, which in turn will hurt innovation. The state has a disaster in the making.

[Mannaggia l'America]

The loss of fidelity during the Word file import can distort the contents of the document.

But that's a deficiency in the Word file import code in those programs...

[HAL9000]

But that's a deficiency in the Word file import code in those programs...

... due to Microsoft's failure to publish the format specification.

[glocksout]

early all formats backed by Sony tend to flop (or receive very limited support).

yeah, i remember when the entire industry turned down the Compact Disc.

[glocksout]

Office 12 will use by default OPEN XML formatting

the survey says! WRONG!

Microsoft wants to patent their "OpenXML" document format. that isn't very "open" now is it?

[for-q-clinton]

Microsoft wants to patent their "OpenXML" document format. that isn't very "open" now is it?

It's as open as PDF (actually more so because it's easily readable w/a comparable license). PDF is good enough for Taxachussetts, so then O12 should be as well.

Try reading the thread before popping in with old news.

[JCEccles]

Editorial on FOX News weighs in on the controversial decision by MA to switch all their systems to an obscure

Reminds me of the copy of Windows 2.0 I picked up in 1989. Obscure and totally useless. Was really colorful, though. I dumped it and went back to straight MS-DOS. What was Bill thinking when he challenged the status quo with such a useless piece of software? Windows deserved to die the ugly death it died in obscurity. MS-DOS is all ANYONE needs.

/sarcasm

[AFreeBird]

Please explain to the class, GE, why it is that you're against an OPEN standard for document formats? For documents of, by, and for the people and the governments that serve them? An open document format that would allow any (read that again - ANY) program to read and write said format with out any legal, patent, or IP restrictions or concerns.

Please lay out - in detail - your technical objection to such a format, and also; please explain to the class why you would want government documents to be restricted to any one company or organization's, proprietary formats?

Furthermore; please explain to the class why any favorite company or organization would be limited, hindered, or unable to impliment an OPEN DOCUMENT format!

[glocksout]

It isn't as open as PDF. This article is very comprehensive and details the process the MA went through to determine the specifications for adopting a standard. it also contrasts PDF and OpenXML. It discusses all the licensing problems.

MA has opened the market and made any software vendor fully capable of bidding software for their purposes. This is a very smart move. They haven't picked software yet, they've only selected a document format that any manufacturer can implement. The software bidding process hasn't even begun. You wouldn't only want one vendor bidding on building freeways, why would you only want one vendor bidding on software?

avoid ad hominem attacks and the world will be a better place.

[glocksout]

Included in the notion of state sovereignty is the right of the state's agencies, employees, contractors and citizens to choose any type of software they want to read or write public documents. By not allowing its license to be transferred or sublicensed, Microsoft's patent license automatically prevents just about all open source software-- including OpenOffice.org--from supporting Microsoft's XML formats.

The Microsoft license basically opens it up to Microsoft software. they even excluded the end user's right to create documents. it's basically a "read only" license.

[glocksout]

A lawyer's perspective The OpenXML document schema isn't open at all.