🚀 go-pugleaf

Perry Fect wrote:
> 
> Scott McMahan - Softbase Systems (softbase@mercury.interpath.net) wrote:
> : Idan Feigenbaum (yfeigenbaum@decisiondata.com) wrote:
> 
> : :     I need the WORD for windows file format.
> 
> : The Word file format is a PROPRIETARY TRADE SECRET OF MICROSOFT!  It
> : has never been released to the public. You may be able to license it
> : for a fee from Microsoft, but you'd probably have to sign a
> : non-disclosure agreement. If anyone has reverse-engineered the file
> : format, it has never been leaked to the public. If someone did this,
> : they'd be asking MS to make an example of them in the courts. None of
> : MS's development information sources (Knowledge Base, MSDN CDs, etc)
> : documents the file format.
> 
> that's such a bullshit policy.  microsoft must die.
> 
> --

Is it really such a stupid policy?  Once they publish the internal
standards, then they are pretty well stuck with that standard for
life.  As long as they, and only they, build code around the internal
representations, they are free to change those representations as the
need arises (hopefully providing conversion tools).  Why should they
or any other developer give up such freedom, particularly if there
are tolerable workarounds.

Microsoft as a company has a few unpleasant quirks, but they have
helped change the world in a positive way.  Would you rather have
IBM back in a leadership role?  Basically, the marketplace has spoken
quite clearly.  Yes, eventually they must die.  But it'll be a while.

Mike

-- 
Mike Girou              girou@parashift.com