IBM VP: Office OpenXML a dead end, Microsoft will back ODF (ars technica) [LWN.net]

Over at ars technica, they talk with Bob Sutor, IBM's vice president of open source and standards about document formats. Sutor sees OOXML, Microsoft's standard, as being on the decline in favor of ODF. "Sutor acknowledges that ODF lacks support for some of Office's functionality, but he is convinced that the gaps can be filled if Microsoft is willing to collaborate with OASIS and propose improvements to the format. His chief concern is that suspicion and distrust of Microsoft could undermine any collaboration, so he strongly encourages ODF advocates to keep an open mind and give Microsoft the benefit of the doubt if the company makes a bona fide effort to participate in the evolution of the standard."

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IBM VP: Office OpenXML a dead end, Microsoft will back ODF (ars technica)

Posted Aug 14, 2008 8:40 UTC (Thu) by dgm (subscriber, #49227) [Link]

The part of Microsoft that is responsible for Office is one with a very bad track in terms of
collaboration. One can have an open mind only so much before becoming a fool, so I think
Microsoft has to:
- demonstrate that are able to be just a part of the whole, by not trying to lead or direct.
- commit themselves to recognizing when they screw it up, and fix.
- avoid previous practices (namely: embrace and extend).
- avoid patenting any technique related to ODF or document formats, and donate current
patents.

I think it's of particular interest for the community to develop ways to test implementations
for compliance with the standard, as a way to strengthen interoperability between
implementations. This shouldn't free them from sticking with "the spirit" of the standard, and
not just the letter.