"Microsoft will make available the preliminary versions of technical documentation for the protocols built into Microsoft Office 2007, SharePoint Server 2007 and Exchange Server 2007. This documentation, which defines how these high-volume Microsoft products communicate with some of its other products, is 14000 pages and is in addition to the 30000 pages posted when the software giant first introduced its new Interoperability Principles last month. They will be made available April 8."
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Member since:2005-07-06
Member since:2005-07-06
I think he (the person whom you replied to) is talking about, for example, exchange where by compatibility can be bought about in Thunderbird, and adding protocol support in OpenOffice.org to allow direct support for Sharepoint collaboration from within the various parts which make up the OpenOffice.org suite of programmes.
With that being said, 30,000 pages tells me a number of things; there is alot of backwards compatibility issues, there are alot of diagrams and they have to be incredibly verbose because of the complex nature of the protocol (more complex than it probably needs to be).
With this being said, I think the problem with this (the reliant on Microsoft) will cause pain at a later date because there is no assurance that they'll continue to update the documentation when they update their protocol, change or fix a security issue within the protocol? I think the more important way to counter Microsoft is to create our own ecosystem of open standards that address the issues which Microsoft products - so that future improvement isn't hamstrung to the whims of Microsoft.
Member since:2008-02-08
I'm not sure about MS intention, I simple don't trust them. I can not make money with it, this is against the open source definition.
...from http://www.microsoft.com/interop/principles/osspatentpledge.mspx"&... .
"If You engage in the commercial distribution or importation of software derived from an open source project or if You make or use such software outside the scope of creating such software code, You do not benefit from this promise for such distribution or for these other activities."
Member since:2007-07-11
This is probably the main problem with their open specification promise... They will make everything available (sort of) and then say "if anyone implements our protocols outside any pet project, will have to pay us".
This is monopolism, this is bad will from their part...
Member since:
2006-04-19
Will this help OOo implement more features into its code from all this documentation, or is more to show the structure of the programs with the layout and design, to show how they run and operate according to the protocols?