[OSGeo-Discuss] Re: Sign the Hague declaration

[Fee, James]

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?

>> 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?

>> 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).

>> 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?

>>  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.

--
James Fee
TEC Inc.



The only application that reads 100% proprietary file formats is the
application that goes with it.

And by saying "readable by less software than the proprietary formats",
it is true that HTML has less application support then DOC.

> consultants to install, train and debug "open" solutions. What a
> complete waste of everyone's time.  

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.

> Sharing of data happens because the system at large demands that it
> happens, not because a couple of folks sign some non-binding document
on
> the internet.

You know you have more and more "Folks on the internet".

And sharing data happens because we have data networks we did not had
before.

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.

--
Benjamin Henrion <bhenrion at ffii.org>
FFII Brussels - +32-484-566109 - +32-2-4148403
_______________________________________________
Discuss mailing list
Discuss at lists.osgeo.org
http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss