Comment it's just like "English as an official language" (Score 1) 425
There is a difference between software, e.g. OpenOffice, and interfaces, e.g. OpenDocument. It is true that this move by Massachussetts closes down the market on interfaces used to publish electronically. Honestly, I find that a bad thing on its own, and would prefer if Massachussetts had made a broader definition of "open formats". Anyway, the interface design is a small fraction of the overall intellectual work involved. The market for the much larger portion of intellectual work on software is left wide open by this move.
In particular, MICROSOFT CAN SUPPORT OPENDOCUMENT if they wish. This move does not rule out Microsoft from use in Massachussetts; it simply insists that they behave in a congenial way if they are to be used by government offices. Whether MS supports OpenDocument or not, I am a happy camper -- I like commercial software companies in general, and I simply dislike tactics such as proprietary file formats.
It's analagous to picking an official language for a government. Instead of having each office pick its own language locally, every US public office is required to publish in English. Similarly, now Massachussetts offices must electronic-publish in OpenDocument and PDF.
In particular, MICROSOFT CAN SUPPORT OPENDOCUMENT if they wish. This move does not rule out Microsoft from use in Massachussetts; it simply insists that they behave in a congenial way if they are to be used by government offices. Whether MS supports OpenDocument or not, I am a happy camper -- I like commercial software companies in general, and I simply dislike tactics such as proprietary file formats.
It's analagous to picking an official language for a government. Instead of having each office pick its own language locally, every US public office is required to publish in English. Similarly, now Massachussetts offices must electronic-publish in OpenDocument and PDF.
