RSSOpenDocument debate resumes in the Netherlands
By Scott M. Fulton, III | Published December 11, 2007, 6:11 PM
While Microsoft's Office Open XML format slowly makes inroads towards acceptance as an international format, the Dutch government debates whether the software behind that format must also be open-source.
A Dutch news service is reporting this afternoon that Microsoft has issued formal objections against a junior economic affairs minister's proposal last September, which would mandate that the Netherlands government restrict itself to the use of open source software that specifically uses the OpenDocument Format.
The plan, introduced by Economic Affairs State Secretary Frank Heemskerk, would call for primary government agencies to begin supporting ODF-compliant open-source applications beginning next April, and to begin a full transition away from other software in January 2009. One reason, the plan states, is to reduce the government's reliance upon any one supplier.
Another goal of the plan, according to an Economics Ministry document (translated into English by Google, and then polished a bit) is to "promote a level playing field in the software market and further promote innovation in the economy through the use of open source software to stimulate choices that tend toward the equal access provided by open-source software."
A US press report this afternoon states the Dutch government is set to debate the measure tomorrow. However, that information was not corroborated by information from Dutch newspapers today, which suggest that the measure must still pass muster with that government's pro-competition authority, the NMa, which has yet to pass judgment on the plan.
Threating to use open source is just how politicians get Microsoft to spend money on them.
I'll believe they are sincere if the Netherlands are still using ODF after Microsoft has greased up everybody.
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|The Dutch decision makers will need to be strong and maintain their insistence. We've already seen some people in the past losing their jobs for 'daring' to support ODF, due to Microsoft's well-documented pressures (Finland, Mass).
By the way, Scott, thanks for your excellent past writings.
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|History has shown that Microsoft will give any or all of its software away, including free support, to any country who lets them lock their data in with proprietary MS formats. No one has officially adopted the failed MS-OOXML format yet, so I don't know how it's "making inroads towards acceptance as an international format."
China, India, EU, Africa, US, Russia have all rejected MS-OOXML during ISO. And all the faux "P" members that Microsoft signed on at the last minute to rig the results are now refusing to even show up to vote for subsequent MS-OOXML votes.
The Netherlands would do itself a permanent monetary favor by adopting the ISO-certified ODF format instead.
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|There is absolutely nothing stopping M$ from implementing ODF in their products, that in fact, is the idea of an _open_ format like ODF.
Watch for bribes and back room deals to get this watered down or not passed at all. Which is a shame for the Netherlands as they will have to forever pay the M$ tax to access _their_ data and force all the citizens of the Netherlands to also pay that M$ tax.
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|Bill Gates will eat a bug before he allows Microsoft to implement a vendor independent standardized format.
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|There is absolutely nothing stopping M$ from implementing ODF in their products, that in fact, is the idea of an _open_ format like ODF.
You mean, aside form the fact that they think their format is better, so why bother?
Sure, they could spend the money to code support for ODF, a standard used by what probably amounts to less than 6% of the document editing crowd. Or they could burn the money I suppose. Both would have about the same effect.
BTW: The idea of open source is to provide free alternatives, *not* force commercial software to do their bidding. :)
You moan on and on about Microsoft "forcing" us to use their products and then moan some more about how the OSS crowd should be able to "force" MS to support *their* formats. You can't or simply do not care to see the complete disconnect in logic of that simply because you can't think more than 5 seconds past your current impulse.
Have a nice day, troll.
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|...because it makes so much sense to mirror the functionality of a free office suite instead of making a more functional one and charging for it?
Sorry. That's what most people call "stupid".
If they went solely to ODF, they'd be effectively limiting their functionality to what ODF can provide. Sure, they can propose enhancements and changes... But then you'd all just whine about how Microsoft took over another format and made it Evil™.
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|as usual your post makes no sense and you fail to comprehend the post to which you are replying.
The people forcing anything are M$. if you want to use Office, you have to use their horribly defined, proprietary format.
As i posted, there is nothing stopping _any_ vendor from meeting the requirements of providing an open format. A format which is not dependent on a single vendor...an ISO approved standard, ODF. there was no bribery, or stacking of the deck to get ODF approved. Look at the total mockery of the ISO process M$ has made.
the fact is M$ will stop at nothing to limit choice and lock people into their cash cow of M$ Office. they failed to bribe all the techies, so now they are bribing the politicians which appoint the techies to the ISO committees.
If you do not recognize this, then you are even more of a fool than everyone takes you for.
"BTW: The idea of open source is to provide free alternatives"
You clearly have zero grasp of what "open source" is all about. thanks for confirming that.
Please post some more of your drivel, it brightens my day.
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|ANd as usual, you completely missed the point of my reply.
I'm shocked, as usual.
What stops a commercial company from implementing a feature-limited format that no one uses, genius?
Cost.
Thank you and have a very nice day, Troll.
(hope that was put simply enough for you to understand, though I doubt anything can actually make it through the thick layers of BS surrounding your brains ability to apply critical thinking to any topic involving Microsoft)
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|ROFLAMO. You really just do not get it. What does ODF have to do with "a free office suite"?
I love reading such clueless statements.
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|What does ODF have to do with "a free office suite"?
Such as this? As do I, El Dingo. As do I.
(We all know that for you and Zaine it's a way of life. For the rest of us, (In the Real World) it's the default format for OpenOffice)
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|In the real world, not your fantasy world, ODF is just a set of file formats.
Many products use it as default and others just provide import/export options. LOL. you really do not get it.
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|Nice reference to Dilbert.
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|, ODF is just a set of file formats.
...for OpenOffice.
Many products use it as default
StarOffice, OpenOffice (same thing, really)....
Give it rest, fanboy.
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