Re: OT: File compatibility issues with LAN drive

Joerg wrote:
I was just sent an "xlsx" file.
Google says it's some Micro*** perversion of XML and ZIP.

*.XLSX is M$'s half-assed attempt at making
"their own" (per)version[1] of OpenDocument Format (ODF).

Spehro Pefhany wrote:
http://labnol.blogspot.com/2007/10/open-xlsx-spread***-files-without.html

Joerg wrote:
Aha! Seems to require people to have MS-Office

The LATEST M$ Office.

and _not_ OpenOffice. Why am I not surprised?

Just a guess:
You're not easily duped by M$'s closed pseudo-standards.
..
*.XLSX is the file extension for OOXML.
That stands for Open Office XML--but don't be misled:
It has NOTHING to do with OpenOffice.org (except for
M$'s attempts to dilute ODF[2] and OOo.)
http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:w100CwTtO_MJ:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embrace,_extend_and_extinguish+United.States.v.Microsoft.antitrust.trial+*-*-*-Department-of-Justice+*-*-competitors-that-do-not-*-*-support-the-*-extensions+*.describe.Microsoft's.strategy+*-goal-*-*-*-*-to-monopolize-a-*-category+features-not-*-*-*-*-*-*-part-of-the-standard

Over the last several months,
this has been a BIG topic in the techie press.
M$ is trying to jam their ill-conceived, poorly-documented
pseudo-standard thru ISO committees in a bunch of countries.
http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:LpAiS7QaA_cJ:boycottnovell.com/2007/08/30/ooxml-odf-microsoft-strategy+methods-*-Microsoft-has-*-*-used+hyperlinks-*-*-would-take-*-*-time+ODF+OOXML+SueMe+voters+to.battle+vote+Lies+promote-*-*-*-*-*-lock-in&strip=1

Any idiot who would sent you one of these
obscure, not-supported-by-anyone-with-any-sense files
would probably also use units of measure like
cubic furlongs per fortnight.

I recommend that you put "Return to Sender" on it
and tell the jerk who sent it to pull his head out of his ass.

If he *is* aware and is worried about wasting bandwidth,
have him install an OOXML-to-ODF converter
and send the (compressed) document to you in that format.
http://linux.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/02/02/2124222&threshold=5&mode=nested&simple&design=1&lowbandwidth=1#17866296
(Original summary at the top of the page.)

My intuition is that he hasn't learned how to use his new M$ crapware
yet
and hasn't learned how to save in any format other than the default.
..
..
[1] You and Hovnanian called it right.

[2] Which, unlike M$'s abortion, *IS* truly OPEN.
.

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