On Monday 18 October 2010 01:43, Wm Stewart wrote: > > The common concern that MS will just change their file formats again is > overblown, and not as important as it seems. Consider: > > o They don't change often. And the frustration of users with the > change to docx a few years ago will slow down any future changes even more.
They change every time a new version of Microsoft Office is released. Given to support this is the version list for Rich Text Format which was open for years, though still under a single owners, Microsoft's, direct control: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/924944 http://diaryproducts.net/for/geek/microsoft_rtf_specification_nightmare The added new features to the program get added to the format as well. That is why Setting a document format that is an Independant Standard was so important. Now when _any_ company adds custom namespaces they can be advertised freely or not, adopted by other implimenters or not. Any feature not adopted should be ignored seemlessly, kept, then resaved with any update to the document. IUUC OpenOffice.org does not do this last, preferring to drop things it does not recognise to the ire of the KWord devs. > o The main issue is compatibility with the existing formats. Solve > this, and you have solved the key problem. A game which yu can never "win". With each new release will be new features which require more chasing of the tail. So this is never completely solvable. Independantly set standards is more important for this reason, then everyone is chasing the same target. Though as (X)HTML formats show the technology can outpace the standards development pace. It ends up being a two edged sword or a balancing act, stable standards developing slowly are much better for more people to learn. > OO would become the standard > office suite very quickly, as the number one barrier would be solved, and > the number one request of existing OO users would be met. It is not about becoming *the* standard - it never was. The standard *is* the document save format itself. This is established. It is all about choice, allowing the customer to choose which program s/he wishes to author any document on. Wanting to surpass Microsoft Office as the program of choice in the world is Megalomaniacal. OO.o and it's main backers then become the "Evil Empire" to be taken down. It should merely be about making the best possible program with the resources available. Right now we have a slightly buggy product which sometimes requires a little massaging to provide the desired output (i regularly fight with Draw). I don't want to output a Microsoft document - i want to output a good document, based on a solid well adopted standard. > Existing users could make more use of the software than many do now, and they could spread the good news widely and with confidence new users would have a good experience. True unvarnished evangelism. All hail the word processor ;) "The good news" is a version of the Bible isn't it? Cheers -- Michael --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
