Feb
21
Wariness over Microsoft’s openness
Posted by Dirk Avery at 9:38 pm under Uncategorized.
Last week we reported on Microsoft opening up its binary formats and promising to not sue when they’re used non-commercially. The openness is an attempt to get the world to standardize on Microsoft’s formats and is part of compliance with anti-trust obligations imposed by a European court. What do software developers think now having the curtain opened to expose the trade-secrets wizard behind? “Aaaah! Close the curtain,” probably sums it up. Software developer, Joel Spolsky, says that,
A normal programmer would conclude that Office’s binary file formats:
- are deliberately obfuscated
- are the product of a demented Borg mind
- were created by insanely bad programmers
- and are impossible to read or create correctly.
He goes on to say, however, that
[he]’ll show you how those file formats got so unbelievably complicated [and] why it doesn’t reflect bad programming on Microsoft’s part.
His final conclusion makes us wonder exactly how much value Microsoft has actually given away.
[U]nless you’re literally trying to create a competitor to Office that can read and write all Office files perfectly, in which case, you’ve got thousands of years of work cut out for you, chances are that reading or writing the Office binary formats is the most labor intensive way to solve whatever problem it is that you’re trying to solve.