"37 letters with exactly the same words. Some of the senders didn't even care to remove the 'Type company name here' text.
"Simular letters has been circulating in Denmark as an e-mail from the Danish MD Jørgen Bardenfleth to customers and business partners.
"I call it fraud, cheating and disgusting. If I wasn't anti-Microsoft before, I am now. Disgusting !"

--Leif Lodahl

Summary: A bunch of news about document formats

THERE seems to be some revisionist forgetfulness over in Denmark, which neglects to account for the OOXML fiasco -- an issue we covered in, e.g.:

• The Microsoft OOXML 'Corruption Train' Reaches Denmark (Updatedx2)
• OpenDocument Takes One Giant Leap, One Step Backwards
• OOXML Watch: Sweden's OOXML Fiasco Representative of the Norm?
• Today is the Day -- The Day the World Will Learn That Crime Pays
• OOXML in Norway, Denmark, and Poland... Looking More Closely at the Stories (Updated)
• ODF and OOXML in Denmark
• Quick Mention: Summary of Microsoft OOXML Manipulation and Ballot-stuffing
• How Microsoft 'Bought' Nicolas Sarkozy, France, and Parts of Europe
• Software Patents and Colombia
• Microsoft Stacks the Danish Panel Too
• More About OOXML in Denmark, Jesper Stocholm
• OOXML-style Stacking Against the Web, Denmark OOXML Complaint Filed (Updated)
• Another Official Complaint Against Microsoft/OOXML: Denmark's Turn
• Germany and Denmark Show Signs of Endorsement of Appeals, Complaints Against ISO OOXML
• Venezuela Appeals ISO Decision on OOXML (Denmark Reportedly Also)
• Another Backlash Against Microsoft in Denmark; Anger Over Microsoft Office Lock-in

What happened in Denmark seems like a felony that went unpunished for, like many others. Microsoft relies on people's short-term memory span. Now there is a push there for proprietary OOXML coexisting with open standards. Microsoft Denmark and other Microsoft employees are pushing this post at the moment, in order to advance their interests of course. And then... surprise, surprise; Novell people are jumping in out of nowhere to muddy the water. I'm being publicly insulted by a Novell employee in the same context^*. Maybe it's hard for them to cope with the truth, so they strive to drive people away from it by smearing. In the process, Novell also defends OOXML, which is only to be expected from Mono staff.

Speaking of document formats, yesterday we posted a long summary of where things stand in the i4i trial and SJVN now opines that there is no easy solution (insisting that there is "no easy fix for Word legal woes"). His explanation goes like this:

That leads me to my next point. Let's say a miracle happens, and Microsoft does make the changes in Word and it actually works. What about all those billions of documents that are already in the old format styles? What about the hundreds of millions of users still using the older versions of Office? Every Office user in the world would end up having to fight with incompatible files and conversion woes. That would go over really well don't you think?

I've also heard it suggested that the i4i patent be over-turned. Oh kid, if over-turning patents were easy, everyone would be doing it.

[...]

Microsoft says they won't settle. So did RIM. They'll settle. The only fast way out of a patent lawsuit that's reached this point is surrender and that's exactly what Microsoft will end up doing.

Ironically, if Microsoft hadn't insisted on shoving its own proprietary Open XML standard down users' throats and had whole-heartily supported the truly open ODF (Open Document Format), Word would have an option for its users that would have avoided the i4i patent mess. Oh well, too late now!

On Microsoft's very own patents which cover XML we wrote in:

• Microsoft Hostility Towards XML Expands to Hostility Towards HTML
• Signs That Microsoft Might Prepare for 'Patent Terror' Against Rival Office Suites
• Microsoft's OOXML Patents, Apple's Endorsement, and the Rise of OpenOffice.org
• Microsoft Keeps Trying to Inject Software Patents Into ODF and Other Standards
• Patents Roundup: OASIS Takes Stance Against Software Patents, Microsoft Loses Again
• XML Patents, Microsoft Aggression, and ODF Hostility
• Microsoft's 'ODF Patent' as Vacuous as Its Promise of Interoperability
• Reader's Article: The Microsoft Patent Threat to ODF
• On Microsoft's Software Patents and ODF Fragmentation
• Microsoft 'Patents' ODF Whilst Also Harming It

There is more on ODF in the news this week. Here are some links.

● Just Say No to .doc! ODF Converter Now Available for MS Word

Now Word users can use ODF, an open XML format for saving files. I think it's time for OpenOffice users to refuse to use the proprietary file format imposed on us by an office productivity monopoly (which, by the way, is the reason that the monopoly has continued) and the willingness of everyone else to follow along like sheep

● IBM Lotus Symphony 1.3 Review - The office alternative.

Additionally, the program is designed on the Open Document file format which is versatile and has proven itself to be highly useful to millions of users around the world. Just remember to save your files in an alternative format if you want to read them on computers with other software installed, even though plugins exist.

Overall, if you’re looking for a non-Microsoft option and you don’t have a huge budget, you should consider trying Lotus Symphony.

● Serna Free - Open Source XML Editor

Serna Free XML editor is an easy-to-use open source WYSIWYG XML editor for those who wish to smoothly adopt the XML technology. Indeed, Serna Free is the most powerful among free and open source XML editors for WYSIWYG authoring.

That last one can be used for any XML file, but it seems to have an element of Free software. Symphony, on the other hand, is non-Free software and it is better off avoided. ⬆ ______ ^* Webmasters of notable Linux sites are seeing that Novell employees are also doing the same thing anonymously -- cursing this site and cursing me. They create an impression of resentment.