It seems that the Open Document Format, the native format for Open Office.org and contributed to by the Open Document Foundation, as slammed this week – by the ODF – as being too proprietary, and that the corporate backers (such as Sun who adopted the format for its own Star Office package) were more interested in killing Microsoft Office than TRUE Interoperability between Word Processors and the other office productivity tools.

I’ve had a close interest in this story, mostly due to the frustration of not being able to send people editable documents in MS Word. This was before I switched to mac, and started using PDF as my standard document format (even less editable – but more portable for sure). I have watched with baited breath as different local, state, national, and international groups, companies, and governments not only toy with the idea of dumping MS Office, and switching to an open source alternative – but actually take the plunge and do so. So it comes as a surprise that the foundation that ushered ODF through the ISO Standardization process spoke out this week against the format. It will still support it – but are working on the next generation format – one called the Compound Document Format. This will do more to bring true interoperability to the electronic document – which is what real end users care about – as well as create another wedge between Microsoft, The ISO Standards Body, and their desire to see OOXML – the Office 2007
native format – being accepted as an international standard.

Here’s the money quote from Sam Hiser, one of its founding and most vocal members:

ODF is writing itself into history as a meetoo proprietary, application-tied specification with no intention to provide the market requirement of universal interop. ODF is therefore a sideline drama, only useful insofar as it has provided a foil for OOXML.

What is quite remarkable, if not a little confusing, is that an organization would not only put the brakes on a format it helped created – but do so publicly and authentically, as soon as they realized that the end result was not what they set out for it to be. Many organizations would just sweep such thoughts under the rug, and keep to their dead end strategy – afraid to admit the wrong turn they took at Albuquerque. I have to applaud the leadership body of the Open Document Foundation for having the courage to stand for what they believe. Bravo.

Too bad this comes on the heels of news that the foundation is closing – so the drama is still unfolding.