RE: [libreoffice-users] Should LibreOffice even support Microsoft secret formats?

Hi Dennis,

While I haven't looked at the list, I'd have to guess that the entirety of the MSO file formats 
probably isn't documented since we don't have 100% MSO compatibility in any open source office 
suite. Microsoft has done a good job of opening up a lot of their specifications, but there is 
still more work to be done.

Anthony

----------------------------------------
> From: dennis.hamilton@acm.org
> To: users@global.libreoffice.org
> Subject: RE: [libreoffice-users] Should LibreOffice even support Microsoft secret formats?
> Date: Sat, 10 Sep 2011 13:14:57 -0700
>
>
> Which formats to you consider to still be secret? Microsoft has provided free-to-the-public, 
> downloadable specifications for a great number of formats and protocols.
>
> Have you checked the lists of those?
>
> [I am not objecting to the plug-in strategy either way, just wondering whether secrecy of formats 
> applies these days.]
>
> - Dennis
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: anthony@cryptofreaks.tk [mailto:anthony@cryptofreaks.tk] On Behalf Of Anthony Papillion
> Sent: Saturday, September 10, 2011 12:28
> To: LibreOffice Mailing List
> Subject: [libreoffice-users] Should LibreOffice even support Microsoft secret formats?
>
>
> I've been thinking a lot about this lately as many of my clients are coming to LibreOffice from 
> Microsoft Office and I deal with both packages quite a bit. Many times, one of the first things I 
> do once LibreOffice is set up is to show clients how to save in Microsoft format as opposed to 
> .odf. It's actually one of the first questions they ask. Lately, I've been wondering about the 
> wisdom of an open source package actively supporting a secret format like the Office ones.
>
> Would it not be preferable to support *only* saving in the open document format and then 
> providing a plugin for Microsoft Office users who needed it? IMHO, allowing users to save in 
> secret formats just continues the problem. They're still using proprietary software, just 
> packaged a different way.
>
> Thoughts?
>
> Cheers,
> Anthony
>
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