in070173



From: andrew@predoehl.net
Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2007 1:32 AM
To: Garner, Jennifer


Subject:   Andrew Predoehl Contribution in Response to JTC 1 N 8455 - 30 Day Review for Fast Track Ballot ECMA-376 | ISO/IEC DIS 29500 Office Open XML File Formats

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Dear Dr. Garner:

As an engineer, programmer, and concerned citizen interested in technology, I want to voice my concerns about fast-tracking the proposed standard for ECMA 376, the EOOXML file format, which is being considered for ISO standardization.

In particular, I am concerned by the many reports I have read about the poor technical merit of the EOOXML format.
 I have heard that the file format documentation is many thousands of pages long, and so complex that true interoperability between software packages will be difficult if not impossible.

It seems to me inappropriate to fast-track the approval of such a complex document when such weighty questions remain open.  So I ask you to represent my concerns, oppose fast-tracking this standard, and spend sufficient time examining whether EOOXML offers sufficient benefit to outweigh its extremely high cost of complexity -- especially in light of the fact that there already exists an ISO standard for office file formats, namely ODF (ISO/IEC 26300).  Thank you for your time.

Yours truly,

Andrew Predoehl