Uh-oh... Microsoft Office 2007 not OK with OOXML

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Wednesday, 23 April 2008 15:54

Opinion and Analysis

Groklaw's Erwan then quotes Tim Bray, the man who invented XML, who “told us already not to hold our breath for Microsoft to fervently fix OOXML:”

Bray is quoted as saying: “I suppose they’ll probably show up to the meetings and try to act interested, but it’s going to be a sideline and nobody important will be there. What Microsoft really wanted was that ISO stamp of approval to use as a marketing tool. And just like your mother told you, when they get what they want and have their way with you, they’re probably not gonna call you in the morning.”

Erwan concludes by saying: “He calls it ISO's Fantasy, and Brown, sitting by the phone, has it bad. Here's the part he's not mentioning: OOXML is headed for maintenance mode, so even more changes are going to happen. And it allows for proprietary extensions. So it's a perpetually moving target.”

So, there’s plenty of scepticism out there over Microsoft’s motives in pushing the OOXML format forward as a standard.

But given that it only just passed the standardisation vote, Microsoft clearly needs a bit more time to get their format into full compliance.

Those that say Microsoft is just engaging in smoke and mirrors to halt ODF’s adoption as a document standard against Office’s own existing standards are probably right.

But it seems few are willing to give Microsoft the benefit of any doubt.

What we’re left in is a mess. Most of the world will continue using either Office’s existing formats, be they the .doc or the new .docx format, with most people still staying with the old .doc format – something I’ve set my Office 2007 to be compatible with just so I don’t have to worry about people getting .docx documents they then need to download readers for.

And all the while standards bodies, Microsoft’s competitors, and Microsoft will continue slugging it out.

Ah, the joys of software and standards. Wake me up when we’re all driving on the same side of the road, in every country around the world, or using the same power plugs.

Still, I do hope, now that Microsoft has foisted OOXML onto us as a 'standard', that it can at least pass the standards tests! Otherwise what's the point.