Microsoft set to open up software:

[James Gray]

On 22/02/2008, at 6:25 PM, thomas fisher wrote:
>  Am I just paranoid or  has MS had a change of heart?
>
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7257411.stm
>
> Tom

Call me a cynic, but I think M$ are just blowing a whole lot of hot  
air and don't have any real intention o open up their API's any more  
than they have in the past.  Their reasons for this, IMHO, are two  
fold (and temporary):
1. Ongoing anti-trust isssues in Europe.
2. Upcoming vote on OOXML ratification.

Not much we can do about #1, but #2 is just another attempt to get the  
rest of the world locked into the MS-Office suite.  It ISN'T  
compatible with ODF, the GPL (or any other "open" license), it's  
missing key components that are required for developers to properly  
implement OOXML in non-M$ tools, and their submission was devoid of  
valid XML!

Wait until these two storms have blown themselves out, and you'll see  
the same old M$ we've all grown to know (and hate).[1]

Cheers,

James

[1] I, and many open source developers, would love to see me proved  
wrong on this...time will tell.
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