Weigh In On the OOXML Issue During Live Debate

lisah writes "Linux.com's Robin 'Roblimo' Miller will moderate a live debate today, Wednesday, December 5 at 1pm US EST (GMT -5), between the GNOME Foundation's press officer Jeff Waugh and fair competition advocate Roy Schestowitz. Both have strong — and opposing — points of view regarding GNOME's involvement with Microsoft's OOXML standard and vehemently defend their positions, so getting them together in the same virtual room ought to prove quite interesting. Although the broadcast will be archived as a podcast and available for free download, you can listen live as it's recorded and also call in to participate and ask questions."

Re:Irony

[Slashidiot]

Yes, it's funny how open source zealots have become something like vegans, and in some places (like linux.com) they have special menus (not so tasty, but good enough). It's like being allergic to mp3.

It's things like this that bug me about GNOME

[cozziewozzie]

Without trying to stir up a flamewar, it is things like this one that bug me, and have always bugged me about the GNOME project. Far more than the technical issues, as the project has clearly been producing a lot of high-quality software.

I see no reason why a project which was started as a direct response to another project perceived not to be completely Free (which was quite justified at that time) should have anything to do with certifying obfuscated formats made by monopolists or support their proprietary software platforms (see Mono) and pushes by some people within GNOME to make them a central part of the GNOME infrastructure. I don't understand experiments like Eazel, with big industry hotshots coming in to design proper interfaces for the masses who don't understand them, and there are other confusing examples. GNOME was originally a project with a political goal, so I don't understand how its politics have become so bizarre.

As an external observer who doesn't use much GNOME technology, but values the contributions that the project has done to the Free Software landscape, I have to wonder what the hell some people in there are thinking. I realise that there are many different viewpoints within the GNOME project and that this issue is likely not as grave as some are trying to make it, but there is simply no excuse for supporting OOXML in my eyes. None.

Re:It's things like this that bug me about GNOME

[R_Dorothy]

GNOME was originally a project with a political goal, so I don't understand how its politics have become so bizarre.

The clue to the second clause lies in the first.

Re:No point.

[Anonymous Coward]

Not if you follow the money it doesn't. Then it starts to make quite a great deal of sense.

Re:It's things like this that bug me about GNOME

[JohnFluxx]

Doesn't gnumeric, abiword etc come under the umbrella term 'Gnome'? If so, then it is important to work out whether to support OOXML or not.

Re:It's things like this that bug me about GNOME

[Anonymous Coward]

BTW, has anyone ever read and tried to understand this:

http://www.gnome.org/press/releases/ecma-tc45-statement.html [gnome.org]

I think having read this most of your points just do not stand anymore.

Re:No point.

[metamatic]

As for Java, it still doesn't have the direct runable-ness of an exe that .Net does that Windows users are used to.

And whose fault is that?

Answer: Microsoft, for not including a JRE in Windows. Apple has a JRE, you can just directly run a .jar executable. It could be that way on Windows if Microsoft wasn't hell-bent to destroy Java.

(Also, I don't have a .NET runtime on any of my computers, and .NET exes are totally unrunnable on all of them, including the Windows ones.)

Re:No point.

[Anonymous Coward]

Let me start by saying that i am EXTREMELY ignorant on the topic at hand.

But I have been using Azureus on windows and I never had to wonder about JAR or not JAR with it.

At the end of the day it's all up to the people who package the software.