On Fri, 2006-07-07 at 19:47 +0100, Ian Lynch wrote: > [snip...] From > what I can ascertain, the plug-in design is technically sound so far. > Its open source so if anyone deliberately breaks or compromises > something it can be seen and fixed. If it doesn't make export and import > better than the current .doc filters in OOo it probably won't get used > much. If it makes such data transfer more reliable then it must have > some advantage to OOo or why would Sun be spending engineering time on > improving the filters?
I think it's more commercially sound than technically sound. Microsoft was facing two risks on the converter front: * it is just possible that enough free software folks might have overcome their visceral revulsion of all things Microsoft to form an open-source converter project * I had heard rumours that a number of commercial software houses were working on / had proposals for commercial converters Both of these would mean loss of control for Microsoft, and the chance that they might produce high-quality converters (which Microsoft has stated are not technically possible) By *providing official support and funding* for an *open-source* project, Microsoft has guaranteed that no commercial company will try and compete; and has made it highly unlikely that any independent free software project will emerge. Microsoft already control their Open XML format, and they are taking control of the converter space too. All they need to do now is to continue progressing Open XML through the standards bodies, and they have sewn up the market again. So, there's still work to do :-) John -- John McCreesh Marketing Project Lead OpenOffice.org --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
