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

[Richard Stallman <rms gnu org>]

    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.

Microsoft's goal is, by one means or another, to defeat free software
which it now considers a serious threat.  Whatever they do, it will not
be a sincere standardization effort that offers no obstacle to free
software implementions.

It is useful for free programs to implement OOXML to the extent that
it is feasible, but we should do this without aiding Microsoft to gain
official approval for a 6000-page incomplete specification of a
patented format.

    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.

To the extent that we succeed in resisting Microsoft's current method
of attack, it will naturally try another.  It makes no sense to
encourage them to stick with their current method by letting them
defeat us with it.

I doubt that Microsoft can succeed again with secret formats.  The
strong pressure for open standards is the reason why Microsoft now
pretends to offer one.  If Microsoft has to go in the face of that
pressure, it will face hard going.