Thank you, Penny Arcade
Arguments about Microsoft’s OOXML format date back to my days when I read Slashdot for fun. Yeah, those days are long gone. Anyway, the International Organization for Standardization rejected Microsoft’s so-called open format; Microsoft hopes to pass the vote early next year.
And this means…? Should Microsoft fail to gain approval for its file format, it stands to loose a bunch of money tied up in government contracts that demand open file formats. For you and me, it means programs like OpenOffice.org will have an even harder time reading Microsoft Office files. And then the world end, dontcha know.
ISO votes to reject Microsoft’s OOXML as standard [Macworld]
Even if Microsoft adopts ODF it won’t be the end of the world. Microsoft still has plenty of other cash cows out there…Though they may need to rethink their business model as open source apps. continue to close the gap.