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With about a week remaining to collect comments on a plan to adopt Ecma’s Open XML standard, Massachusetts is mum on how the issue is fairing, but some who disagree with the action are already voicing their opinion publicly.
Andy Updegrove, a lawyer, a board member of the Linux Foundation and a Massachusetts resident is stirring controversy with comments he submitted to the Massachusetts Information Technology Department (ITD) that oppose the Open XML initiative.
“Microsoft is hardly to be blamed for lending no support to the success of the Open Document Format (ODF). But neither should it be rewarded for launching a competing, self-serving standard as a next-best defense against erosion of its dominant position,” he wrote in comments submitted to the ITD.
Ecma’s Open XML standard, known as Ecma-376, is based on Microsoft’s Open XML, which is the default format in Office 2007. Microsoft submitted the format to Ecma, which approved it in December.
Updegrove said the level of detail in the 6,039 pages of Ecma-376 specification “will place a straightjacket on innovation, restricting any implementation to rigid conformance.”
“As one who has long studied and promoted the importance of open standards, I urge [Massachusetts] to hold the marketplace to a higher standard and to refuse to include Ecma-376 on its approved list.”
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Bethann Pepoli, acting CIO of the ITD, said the commonwealth will not publish any correspondence it receives during the public comment period, which expires July 20, until after a final decision on adoption is made at the end of this month.
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Comments (3)
OpenXMLBy Anonymous on July 15, 2007, 8:41 pmThe OpenXML specification is a joke and doesn't deserve any government body's approval.
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A long fight ahead with no reason to think Microsoft will winBy Micronet on July 13, 2007, 5:17 pm The story says. "Turbolinux will develop new tools to translate documents between ODF and Office 2007 Open XML. Two weeks ago, Sun released the first version...
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RE: Critic bashes Massachusetts on Open XML proposalBy Anonymous on July 13, 2007, 2:52 pmI can't understand what the fuss is all about. What is the point of having money if you can't buy politicians and government officials into a scheme that allows...
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