James wrote: " My point isn't that .doc is a good format, but it is readily available to read in many software packages (some very free and open)."
In this sense .doc is a lot like .dwg files. It's use is pervasive, but there is no published spec. That is one thing that really makes ESRI Shapefiles stand out from the crowd. As soon as ESRI published the spec for Shapefiles it was easy for them to become universal. I won't comment on the .doc topic, but I will say that I believe Autodesk has vehemently guarded the .dwg format to maintain a monopoly. I suppose you could argue the same thing of Microsoft. I will point out one important difference between .dwg and .doc, however. Autodesk does publish the spec for the DXF format. There isn't a whole terrible lot that you can transfer with a DXF that you can with a DWG. I don't think rtf or .txt come even close to .doc. Landon -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Fee, James Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2008 9:57 AM To: OSGeo Discussions Subject: RE: [OSGeo-Discuss] Re: Sign the Hague declaration Landon Blake wrote >> I would remind Mr. Fee, very humbly (of course), that he is on the OSGeo >> mailing list, so in some respects he's chosen a fight in which he is >> very outnumbered. I don't know how productive it is to aggressively >> defend something like the .doc format on a mailing list for proponents >> of open source software. :] Let me assure you I'm am cursing Microsoft Office as we speak. My point isn't that .doc is a good format, but it is readily available to read in many software packages (some very free and open). Things like ESRI's File Geodatabase are probably formats that I would tend to agree are an impediment to sharing data, but I don't see how any of the MS formats are limiting people using them or creating them. -- James Fee, GISP Associate TEC Inc. voice: 480.736.3976 data: 480.736.3677 internet: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss Warning: Information provided via electronic media is not guaranteed against defects including translation and transmission errors. If the reader is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this information in error, please notify the sender immediately. _______________________________________________ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss