Re: OOXML [was Re: GNOME Foundation Board Meeting Minutes :: 7/6/07]

[Dave Neary <bolsh gnome org>]

Hi Bjorn,

BJörn Lindqvist wrote:
> On 10/31/07, Jody Goldberg <jody gnome org> wrote:
>> It is uncomfortable acting as a representative of the foundation in
>> a role that many members do not agree should exist.  My private
>> preferences should not negatively impact the foundation, or go
>> against the will of the majority of members.
> 
> A representative should be representative of the people he or she is
> representing. Can you be representative if your personal opinion is
> diametrically opposite to the one you are representing? I mean, you
> are doing a really great technical job improving OOXML while most in
> the community really want the standardization process to fail.

Are you seriously suggesting that it's in the best interests of our
users, of GNUmeric users and Abiword users, not to be able to open OOXML
files? I disagree with your statement that most in the community want
the standardisation process to fail - I would suggest that most want the
standardisation effort to be sincere.

I believe I understand Microsoft's motivation for standardisation - get
around all those pesky governments & public bodies insisting on open
standards for information exchange. If that is the motivation, then I
also want the ECMA to decline the standard.


This may be our last chance for years to get comprehensive documentation
of the file format out of MS. If ECMA standardisation does not go
through, then Microsoft have nothing to gain by publishing more & more
information about its formats.

Cheers,
Dave.

PS. On a point of information (as we used to say in the debating
society), Jody no longer works for Novell.

-- 
Dave Neary
GNOME Foundation member
bolsh gnome org