11.28.07
Quick Mention: The Programmer’s Advantage in ODF, OOXML Coverage from Hungary
Here is a nice new article that shows the nature of the monoculture called OOXML.
How well is ODF and OOXML supported in different languages?
I started off by choosing six common languages used by application and Web developers, then I went and looked for what libraries are available for each document format:
Language ODF OOXML Python Yes No Perl Yes No Ruby Yes No PHP Yes Started Java Yes Started Microsoft C# Yes Yes
This is hardly surprising and IBM ought to be very careful with that C#/Mono trap.
A few days ago, memories from Hungary came back to light in Groklaw.
Do you remember the August meeting of the Technical Committee in Hungary over whether to approve MS OOXML as a standard? It was one of the places where the scandal-rocked ISO process bubbled up and over into headlines. In that country, the issue was whether proper procedures were followed in the voting. There is now a report and transcript of the meeting [PDF] in Hungarian, of course, 27 pages long, which is now made public.
We mentioned OOXML in Hungary several times before [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]. This was one among many other disturbing scenarios which showed the truly fradulent nature of Microsoft and its ability to manipulate people/governments.
It is safe to predict that the aggressive and unethical behavior will culminate early next year, but it has already begun (and been spotted) in Germany and Portugal. █
Highlight: Novell was the first to acknowledge that Microsoft FUD tactics had substance. Novell then used anti-Linux FUD to market itself. 
Highlight: Xandros let Microsoft make patent claims and brag about (paid-for) OOXML support. 
Highlight: Linspire's CEO not only fell into Microsoft arms, but he also assisted the company's attack on GNU/Linux. 
Highlight: Microsoft craves pseudo (proprietary) standards and gets its way using proxies and influence which it buys. 
Highlight: The invasion into the open source world is intended to leave Linux companies neglected, due to financial incentives from Microsoft. 
Analysis: Xen, an open source hypervisor, possibly fell victim to Microsoft's aggressive (and stealthy) acquisition-by-proxy strategy.
Stephane Rodriguez said,
November 28, 2007 at 5:03 pm
The article you are pointing to is a poorly researched article, unfortunately.
I especially “like” their reference to the PHP project for OOXML and the Java project for OOXML, started by a Microsoft employee, and an employee of a Microsoft shop (Microsoft regional director, close to Microsoft’s Doug “Mr Bribery” Mahugh), respectively.
The C# project for OOXML is, you guessed it, from Microsoft. And when you research it, it does not take long to learn that all it does is abstract the ZIP library a bit. Sounds like Microsoft’s COM object models will still be the de facto libraries to do anything substantial with Word/Excel/Powerpoint for a long time to come. And of course, Microsoft’s COM object model means a running instance of the corresponding applications, i.e. nothing new under the sun when it comes to Office being the trojan horse to lock-in to Windows.
Speaks volume about how much non-Microsoft people like OOXML…
Not much apparently.
Roy Schestowitz said,
November 28, 2007 at 5:14 pm
I am hardly surprised, Stephane. Thanks for pointing that out.
It has already emerged that Microsoft uses grassroots tactics to pretend that there is support for OOXML in the UK. It also created various Web sites that it accommodated to give the illusion that ‘the world’ is embracing OOXML. This includes an ‘open source’ project for accessibility (the million-dollar FUD card used in MA and elsewhere). All of this was covered here before, along with extensive references.
About Doug, I didn’t know about a briberies connection (I’m aware of several others), but I’m pretty certain that it was him who openly admitted that OOXML is all about Microsoft’s financial interests. Boy, was that shot in the foot!
I continue to stress this, even using graphical banners: The only driver of OOXML is a mixture of lies, manipulation, bribery, and more. I am absolutely appalled (and angered) because I persistently research this thing and I see more than most people do. It’s not good for my blood pressure.
Stephane Rodriguez said,
November 29, 2007 at 3:38 am
The other tactic being used is that projects being mentioned are always just started. Quite ironically they never mention how much advanced they are. For a reason that is trivial to answer.
It costs nothing to start a new project hosted at some whatever forge-like website. So this is basically Microsoft dressing up for the open-source cause.
This propaganda is handy at a time when ECMA/ISO are involved. Anyone who would have followed this masquerade knows that as soon as Microsoft gets the ISO timestamp for the poorly engineered XML format they created (it’s all paid for, voters are being asked by Microsoft to vote favorably), all those projects will just vanish and never mentioned again.
With the notable exception of Jody Goldberg’s Gnumeric who is doing an outstanding Microsoft shill job. Not to mention Novell’s Windows edition of OpenOffice.
Roy Schestowitz said,
November 29, 2007 at 5:34 am
Yes, I know.
By the way, I did my favourite searches on the Tube earlier. Microsoft has just stuck some OOXML videos with an open source slant in there (accessibility pitch/FUD).