12.19.07
New York Set to Decide on OpenDocument Format, EyeOS Embraces OpenOffice.org
Christian Einfeldt wrote to inform Slashdot readers about a coming decision on document formats in New York. (direct link, some further feedback)
In August of 2007, the State of New York passed legislation requiring its CIO, Melodie Mayberry-Stewart, to gather information on the advantages and disadvantages of adopting either ODF or OOXML as a document standard, and to report her findings by 15 January 2007. As part of her duties under that legislation, the CIO issued a Request For Public Comment to get feedback on the topic.
This issue is up for negotiation until the 28th of this month, so there’s still plenty of time to tell the CIO (and Santa) about “Ho Ho XML”.
In other news, an ISP is being accused of selfishly discriminating against Free software for its own benefit.
Australia’s largest Internet service provider Telstra BigPond has removed the free open source office suite OpenOffice from its unmetered file download area following the launch of its own, free, hosted, office application, BigPond Office.
[...]
Our reader was outraged by Telstra’s move, which he sees as an attack on the open source software movement.
“The principle of the matter upsets me,” he said. “The fact that BigPond has removed previously allowed open source software is un-ethical. They are discriminating against me, even though I pay the same as other customers. They are attacking the Free Software movement.”
On a brighter side of things, eyeOS developers, whom we love for their choice of GPLv3, intend to harness the power of OpenOffice.org and support a large number of formats in their platform.
This will be possible thanks to some hard work on the great OpenOffice platform, that will provide, in the server where eyeOS is installed, conversions between lots of formats to the eyeOS native ones trought some macros that will connect eyeOS with OpenOffice framework.
The post says nothing about OpenDocument and Open XML, but it’s possibly safe to assume that OpenOffice.org’s bias — favoring truly open standards — will be inherited here and its formats adopted. █
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.