4 ms·

Just in time for everyone and their brother to vibe code a docx editor. This doesn't make much sense except as a token gesture that will make everyone's life wo

by piker 7mo ago

Just in time for everyone and their brother to vibe code a docx editor. This doesn't make much sense except as a token gesture that will make everyone's life worse. [Edit: I work on a Word competitor for lawyers. If anyone here thinks this type of move does anything but further entrench someone like Microsoft who has the resources to implement every format under the sun, I’ve got some news for you. So if it’s not anti-monopolistic, then what? Do you actually think the User prefers it? Honestly? The world standardizes on VHS two decades ago. How is mandating betamax going to benefit anyone other than the established players and box ticking bureaucrats?]

graemep 7mo ago
Do you mean an ODF/.odt editor? Why vibe code them? they already exist. MS Office can open ODF files now. The British government has been using ODF for most files exchanged with the public (e.g. downloads from gov.uk) for many years now with no issues I know of.
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- yladiz 7mo ago
  The same reason you vibe code a Rust version of SQLite.
- piker 7mo ago
  The point is that compliance around docx has become a commodity. Now that you have to support 2 formats with your application, that is orders of magnitude more complex.
helij 7mo ago
I've been using ODF professionally and privately for years now without any issues. What's the problem your side?
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nurettin 7mo ago
A token gesture. I see what you did there.
tredre3 7mo ago
In your roadmap you listed pdf support, so hopefully your system already has abstractions in place to handle multiple input formats without rewriting everything, no? You'll just have to pull-in an odf crate (or vibe code one). I understand that it's extra work for you, but if you take a step back and look around you maybe you'd see the greater good.
- piker 7mo ago
  Yes, we support reading .doc, .pdf and read/write on .docx. Perhaps there is some greater good here, but I can tell you it's a burden for at least one competitor in the ecosystem. We basically cannot market into Germany now until we've baked this in. This certainly doesn't hurt Microsoft. Then of course maybe that isn't the point which is fine. I'm actually surprised at people reporting on here that ODF is their preferred format. I've worked professionally in documents for two decades and never come across one other than as accidental output from Libreoffice. So perhaps it is my ignorance on display and Germany never was a viable market without this.

by piker 7mo ago

graemep 7mo ago

Do you mean an ODF/.odt editor? Why vibe code them? they already exist. MS Office can open ODF files now. The British government has been using ODF for most files exchanged with the public (e.g. downloads from gov.uk) for many years now with no issues I know of.

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yladiz 7mo ago
The same reason you vibe code a Rust version of SQLite.
piker 7mo ago
The point is that compliance around docx has become a commodity. Now that you have to support 2 formats with your application, that is orders of magnitude more complex.

helij 7mo ago

I've been using ODF professionally and privately for years now without any issues. What's the problem your side?

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nurettin 7mo ago

A token gesture. I see what you did there.

tredre3 7mo ago

In your roadmap you listed pdf support, so hopefully your system already has abstractions in place to handle multiple input formats without rewriting everything, no? You'll just have to pull-in an odf crate (or vibe code one). I understand that it's extra work for you, but if you take a step back and look around you maybe you'd see the greater good.

piker 7mo ago
Yes, we support reading .doc, .pdf and read/write on .docx. Perhaps there is some greater good here, but I can tell you it's a burden for at least one competitor in the ecosystem. We basically cannot market into Germany now until we've baked this in. This certainly doesn't hurt Microsoft. Then of course maybe that isn't the point which is fine. I'm actually surprised at people reporting on here that ODF is their preferred format. I've worked professionally in documents for two decades and never come across one other than as accidental output from Libreoffice. So perhaps it is my ignorance on display and Germany never was a viable market without this.