Another round of ODF vs OOXML

Submitted by litrik on

After Microsoft's push of OOXML through the ISO fast-track standardization process, two important things have happened.

First of all, Microsoft has announced it would add ODF support to Office 2007, but not OOXML. Secondly, South Africa and Brazil have both appealed the ISO decision.

I've written before about the use of standards as corporate weapons. It looks like the war continues.

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6 Comments

First off, the following are

Submitted by TimothyP on

First off, the following are questions not statements:

- Is it true that the ODF format is much smaller/simpler than the OOXML format
and therefore lacks important features such as accessibility?
- If this is the case, wouldn't Open Office be better off using OOXML
- Is it not true the people behind ODF (or at least some of them) are looking
to abandon the specification and thinking about yet another improved specification?
- Why do people hate OOXML, just because Microsoft came up with it or is there a more valid reason?

PS: I don't care which specification "wins" (if any), I'd just rather not have a VHS vs Video-2000 (or Blu-Ray vs HDDVD)
scenario all over again, certainly not for the wrong reasons.

Some replies: "Is it true

Submitted by litrik on

Some replies:

"Is it true that the ODF format is much smaller/simpler than the OOXML format and therefore lacks important features such as accessibility?"

The ODF standard is approx 600 pages. OOXML's specification is 6000 pages. When it comes to standards, smaller is better because there is less room for (mis)interpretation.

"Is it not true the people behind ODF (or at least some of them) are looking to abandon the specification and thinking about yet another improved specification?"

Never heard this before. Do you have any reference to back up this claim?

"Why do people hate OOXML, just because Microsoft came up with it or is there a more valid reason?"

I don't think it is "just because Microsoft came up with it". Besides a lot of technical objections there is the clear abuse of the ISO standardization process. See here and here.

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