On Wed, Apr 06, 2011 12:50:04 PM -0700, aqualung
([email protected]) wrote:
> Yet that proprietary Microsoft file format is the chief reason for
> supporting OOo / LibO. A world in which my intellectual property is
> imprisoned in a cage to which someone else holds the key is a
> nightmare!
> And that, perhaps, explains why the open-source community has not
> filed a lawsuit against Microsoft over their file format (if I am
> wrong about this, please correct me). If Microsoft were forced to
> lay open the file format, then the only significant reason for
> supporting OOo / LibO would disappear.
The argument above would be much, much, much more robust if it said
"OpenDocument Format" every time, instead of "OOo / LibO"
Ooo/LibO are a means to use OpenDocument, not the reverse (1). And
those who should sue are citizens and governments, not the open source
community.
This statement, instead:
> Such a change would hugely lower the barrier to market entry for
> commercial entities offering "good enough" office suites at $10
> apiece, and drastically lower public interest in OOo / LibO.
is correct as is. If only ODF were used, responsible/knowledgeable
users would have much less reasons to use OOo or LibO instead of MS
Office or any other proprietary, but 100% ODF compliant suite. But so
what? Why would that be a problem, even if FOSS office suites remained
a minority product?
I pointed out the same thing (and was attacked for this) 5/6 years
ago, when we started the OpenDocument fellowship: when only truly open
file formats will be used, certain FOSS programs will finally have to
really become better in order to be used, insted of being used because
they're the only ones to use open formats, ie the only ones that let
you be the real owner of your own documents. Is that bad?
Marco F.
(1) see "OpenDocument first. Always" at
http://stop.zona-m.net/2010/11/three-things-to-not-forget-to-make-libreoffice-and-odf-succeed/
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