On 5/15/08, Benjamin Henrion <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Fee, James <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> [080515]: > > Benjamin Henrion wrote: > > > > >> The only application that reads 100% proprietary > > >> file formats is the application that goes with it. > > > > Well shoot, that can be said about a lot of formats even those that are > > open. Does OO read/write ODF better than Google Docs does? > > Don't know. You should have tests and validators for checking > compliance. AFAIK, I don't know any for ODF. > > It is a similar problem then "Does IE renders CSS better then Firefox?". > I don't know. > > > >> I preper that my tax-payer money goes into the > > >> pocket of a local service then in the bank account > > >> of a company who controls the DOC format. > > > > So a local contractor that install/maintains a Microsoft system is fine? > > Yes, if the format is for example HTML and that Microsoft garantees 100% > compliance with this standard. > > > >> You know you have more and more "Folks on the internet". > > > > All the time and many are wanting data shared in formats they can read > > on their computers. They don't want a DWG file that they can't read at > > all (let alone a shapefile and all those weird .shx and .dbf files). > > Users wants applications to read their data, but citizens have similar > needs. The difference is that some compromises and others like me don't. > > > >> And sharing data happens because we have data networks > > >> we did not had before. > > > > True, folks want to get the data they have coming to them, eh? > > That's the well known network effect. > > > >> The internet and email makes that you will receive > > >> soon *.docx files from your friends, with nice macro > > >> extensions you won't be able to decode because you > > >> did not buy software XYZ. > > > > >> If the government is publishing a DOC file > > >> with macros, can I open it in Google Docs? > > > > Macros are of course problem. My company won't let me open any word > > documents that have macros in them. > > > > Your point though is a good one. It isn't always the format that data > > is shared in, but how it is shared in that format. Proprietary or not, > > data needs to be in a consumable format. > > Let consumers decides then.
Consumers do decide. Many, many (and I am not talking about governments) have bought MS and ESRI and Oracle and Autocad and Wordperfect and Apple and Adobe. I am currently working for a very, very large, non-governmental development agency, and if I told them to use OpenOffice, they would tell me go take a hike. They use MS and ESRI products, and no govt. told them to do so. > But consumers are citizens and their > governments in this present case. That's why it is a bit different then > the "traditional" market. > > -- > Benjamin Henrion <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > FFII Brussels - +32-484-566109 - +32-2-4148403 _______________________________________________ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss