The OOXML Odyssey: Reader Outrage Edition
I like to think of myself as a fair-minded guy who's open to both sides of
an argument. So when I wrote about the recent
no-vote
for the Microsoft Office Open XML (OOXML) spec by the International Organization
of Standardization (ISO), I was a bit astonished by the nature of the response.
To wit: Not one person wrote in to say they supported Microsoft or the OOXML
specification. Not one.
Instead, what I read was a parade of impassioned protest. Readers railed against
what they found to be a sloppy, complex and potentially dangerous XML-based
technical specification. Several wrote to express concern about Microsoft strong-arming
the ISO process, stacking national ISO voting bodies in an effort to win approval.
And to a man (or woman), the writers condemned OOXML on its technical merits.
What surprises me about this response is that these are people reading Redmond
Developer News -- you know, a publication for developers and managers working
with the Microsoft technology stack. You'd think this audience would have a
lot invested in Microsoft tools and skill sets, and that they'd be at least
somewhat likely to have a favorable opinion of OOXML.
But they don't.
What does it say about Microsoft and its current OOXML push that our readers
-- essentially, the home field for Microsoft in this contest -- are so clearly
opposed to the Redmond-sponsored technology?
You tell me. Because I really want to hear it. E-mail me at [email protected].
Posted by Michael Desmond on 09/19/2007