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An open letter from the Document Foundation warns that Euro-Office, which is being โ€œmarketedโ€ as the first open-source office suite developed in Europe, isn't what it seems - and may reinforce Microsoftโ€™s closed source technology instead.

... Microsoft ... developed and controls the horrible proprietary OOXML format, designed precisely to prevent Digital Sovereignty by maintaining content lock-in. It is far less understandable on the part of companies that claim to advocate open source, such as those promoting Euro-Office.

Euro-Office defaults to the fully proprietary OOXML document format, developed and controlled solely by Microsoft. This makes it a de facto ally of Microsoft in its content lock-in strategy, with control remaining firmly in Redmond and far from Europe.

So, despite what is being written in support of Euro-Office โ€” the latest of the office suites developed in Europe, and not the first โ€” the announcement is not against Microsoft. On the contrary, it strengthens Microsoftโ€™s strategy against European Digital Sovereignty, or, if you prefer, against the freedom of European users to control and manage their own content.

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[โ€“] 9 points 4 months ago (3 children)

Genuine question, if somebody could help me out, I'd appreciate it. How does using OOXML restrict what a user can do with their own content? Or have have I missed the point here?

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  • [โ€“] 20 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    It's a standard that Microsoft controls. They can use it in an embrace, extend, extinguish strategy in the future, and Euro-Office is doing the embrace part for them.

    Compatibility is important. So is defaulting to an open standard. That default safe option is critical.

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  • [โ€“] 1 point 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

    The ISO format is defined. Microsoft may choose to move beyond it (in fact I think they already have) and Europe, provided theyโ€™ve deployed software that doesnโ€™t automatically follow along with this move, will fork and be left with their version. Leverage works both ways.

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