Google sneaks under standards radar

Google fan-bois?

Is there such a thing as a Google fan boy?

Oh wait, the first poster answered that already...

Here is a thought...

I keep reading about the wonderful working environment at Google offices. So, I thought perhaps that should be a de-facto industry standard.

Overreach

Come on, Phil, you're stretching.

Since when has Google locked in users as gravely as Microsoft has to sell their software or service? And how many people have complaints against Google services, as Microsoft has had with Office?

http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/02/19.html

When they start obfuscating formats, locking-in users, and writing crap software, we can start complaining.

Not yet, I'm afraid...

Microsoft - defacto standard?

That's funny, I could have sworn there already was a standard in office documents ... That's right! ODF!

Open office and Google back this standard, and wouldn't you know it .... it works.

It's seems unfair to compare Google to Microsoft, becuase Google, as a previous user commented, is doing most of the work, whereas microsoft is trying to push a standard on top of a pre-existing one that is quite comprehensive.

Unfair comparison

This not at all like the (O)OXML debate!

MS is trying to push through another 'open' office document standard where one previously exists and is actively used (ODF).

The KML format has been standardised as there is no alternative. Setting a standard where there isn't one is in no way comparable to forcing through a competing, unimplemented standard to one which already exists.

Shame on your el Reg!

The diffenrence is:-

The google standard is a claer open (perhaps a little limited) way of specfiying geographical information. The spac is readbale and can be used by anyone wishing to excahnge such information without any refernce to google or using any google software.

Much like microsofts DHCP or SOAP standards in fact.

The problem with OOXM is that is clearly an attempt preserve microsofts near monopoly on Word Processor documents. The standard is not open or readable and as large chucks effectively say "do what Word version 3.7 revision 213 does" only microsoft can actually implement the standard or even decide if a document complies with the standard.

Now the whole point of the competing standard, OSF, is to destroy Microsfots near monopoly. Once something is an ISO standard official bodies like national, regional and local governments, international organisations such as NATO, UNICEF, and indeed ISO can easily mandate that supplied software support this standard and that submitted documents comply to the standard.

This opens up the game to any software such as OpenOffice ABIWORD etc. that supports OSF to compete on even terms with Word, Excel etc.

Furthermore it stops the current situation where "Security Fixes" and "Upgrades" to Word produce documents in a format that cannot be read by anything other than word.

No wonder MS has pulled out all the stops to break the standards process.

Double standards

Judges, Censors, politicians and this Standard lobby lot all hate Microsoft for some reason. Apple could quite easily get away with offing up a AOXML systems and it would be passed through without a second glance, it’s just the way it is, hypocrisy, buddyism and bribery with the CEO’s of Google / Apple. I don’t think Microsoft can do much about it, in a court case they will more than likely loose and in any other battles they will more than likely fail thanks to the unjustified wave of anti -Microsoft sentiment.

Luckily Microsoft products are more thought through and win over in the end.

Yes, Google and Apple invented everything.

We know, we know. Google and Apple have invented everything that was ever useful...

"...[KML] was originally developed as part of Google Earth."

No, it wasn't. It was developed as part of Keyhole Earth Viewer. Many of us used Keyhole long before Google was any kind of influence on the industry at all. Note that the extension isn't .gml, that's a hint. Google, nor Google Earth had anything at all to do with it.

And I also know speaking anything negative about Google or Apple will get me flamed, so go ahead...

And Keyhole Earth Viewer became...

If it were .gml - it would be something else entirely - i.e. Geogrpahy Markup Language invented by Ron Lake - who collaborated with the Big G on KML.

Re: Double standards

Dude get your facts strait before positing such intelligent comments.

MS has been found guilty, yes GUILTY of being a Monopolist. So if a convicted monopolist tries to railroad an existing standard with an inferior/incomplete/legally encumbered standard by nefarious means its only to protect it's monopoly. Nothing more, no community good will, no industry collaboration, nada nope zip.

"Apple could quite easily get away with offing up a AOXML systems and it would be passed through without a second glance"

If Apple owned the market as MS does why wouldn't it. Thats what MS has done/tried.

Whats funny is the tampering with ISO voters is so blatant i think the world is stunned. It's kind of like NY/NJ mob trials where everyone knows that the reason the snitch stopped singing is because the defense got to him, but theres nothing they can do.

"unjustified wave of anti -Microsoft sentiment." Dude do your homework!!! Try Microsoft history 101!!!

"Luckily Microsoft products are more thought through and win over in the end."

Wow, are you the monkey man's sidekick? Tell us, please respond here how Vista is more thought through then other OSes out there? You want to see thought you should look at a MAC as far as usability is concerned. You want stability/security/scalability? Try LINUX/UNIX.

Now web CMS.. MOSS? Please try Documentum/Red dot/Joomla etc.

MS does make some really great software but they are by no means the best in the markets they are in. They are the best at making money more than software. I doubt i would get too much of an argument from anyone on that.

I think MS has targeted the key people in the right spots over the years that has propelled them to the top of the SW heap. An IT director told me that he had never seen anyone fired for picking a MS solution.

If Larry had a software portfolio that MS has even his pinstriped suited borg couldn't do what MS has done.

Need my coat to walk the dog!!

Re: "Microsofts DHCP or SOAP standards"

At what point in an alternative history did Microsoft invent DHCP?

As for MS SOAP - this is the company that has developers who are so incompetent/clueless that they didn't understand XML at all... as a result they kludged "array" support into CDATA elements in the underlying XML rather than just using the native format of XML - i.e. an element can contain multiple child elements. In other words, they immediately broke the standard and implemented their own "binary" additions to reduce compatibility.