this needs wide distribution

[Patrick Ohnewein]

The question is, isn't OXML a binary format, too?

For what I understood OXML seems to be a fully documented container,
which get's filled with tons of proprietary contents. That makes it
de-facto useless for exchanging documents between applications of the
Microsoft Windows technology family and the rest of the IT.

I see the scenario, where someone produces a document with a Microsoft
application and sends it, in the standardized OXML format to a
OpenOffice.org user. Let's say OOo has already been extended by Novell
to fully support OXML. But the OOo user doesn't use the Microsoft
Windows operating system and therefore the incorporated content cannot
be interpreted. The user will be unable to fully enjoy the content of
the document and will be forced to switch to Microsoft technology.

Today decision makers have in some extend understood the difference
between a binary, proprietary format and open standards. But will they
understand the difference between a standardized container format with
lots of proprietary undocumented content in it and a fully documented
Open Standard like ODF?

Will they go on with their plans to migrate to free software
applications like OpenOffice.org or will they stop migrating and just
answer there is no need anymore, because they now, after migrating to
the new MsOffice, use a standardized open format called OXML?

I think today the most important thing is advocating for the use of ODF
and for Free Software applications supporting it. We have the chance to
get a well documented open format become the de-facto standard and let
MS deal with it. It's not like the DOC/XLS/PPT infection we were faced
the all this years, it's a different situation and we have to preserve
our advantage.

Happy hacking!
Patrick

-- 
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