I dislike receiving Microsoft Word documents because I neither use nor like
that piece of software, and too many computer users think that Word documents
are a standard format. Because Microsoft refuses to reveal the details of that
file format, competitors' software is doomed to work almost but not quite as
well. Microsoft Word's file format is not a legitimate standard because it is
not "open." Other software companies are prevented from knowing the
format, and as a result their software can not perfectly read and write
Microsoft Word documents. This subterfuge has enabled Microsoft to lock users
into its software. In fact, Microsoft regularly changes its formats to cause
incompatibilities the user is forced to resolve by purchasing the latest
version of their software (There is no technical reason why file formats must
change). The Problem
For many -- but not all -- computer users, Microsoft Word has become the
document-writing software of choice. In the 1990s, many computers sold with the
Windows operating system included Microsoft Word for free; this contributed to
the concept that Microsoft Word was a universal format. I used it too, at one
point, but gave it up for a word processor I like better.
There are many other word processors available on the market today, some
better, some worse. But because Microsoft Word users tend to forget that not
everybody uses the same word processing software as they do, they send Word
documents as attachments to their email. The recipient is forced to jump
through hoops to try to read those documents, or worse, is prevented from
reading them at all.
Microsoft Word's file format is not a legitimate standard because it is not
"open." Other software companies are prevented from knowing the
format, and as a result their software can not perfectly read and write
Microsoft Word documents. This subterfuge has enabled Microsoft to lock users
into its software. In fact, Microsoft regularly changes its formats to cause
incompatibilities the user is forced to resolve by purchasing the latest
version of their software (There is no technical reason why file formats must
change).
As computer manufacturers look to reduce costs by bundling other software like
WordPerfect or even Star Office, this may help repopulate the document
ecosystem with some more variety. Perhaps the tide is turning.
In the meantime, Microsoft Word users, don't make assumptions!
The Solution Remember to use standard file formats when you distribute your
document to other computer users. It's a simple matter of choosing "Save As..."
from the file menu, and choosing a document type you know the recipient will be
able to read. Unless you know for a fact that person is using Microsoft Word,
use one of the following standard exchange formats:
Rich Text (RTF) format is the best solution for documents containing mostly
formatted text.
Plain Text format is even better, for documents containing unformatted text.
PDF format is the best option if you are distributing a final document the user
will read but not make changes to, PDF files are practically the most universal
file exchange format: they can be read on just about any computer in the world
using Adobe Acrobat Reader. OpenOffice.org is able to make PDF files without
purchasing Acrobat, and is good for other reasons as well. XML is the wave of
the future and will reduce problems like this. Though most word processors
don't support XML yet, Open Office.org already does, and other companies are
not far behind. When all word processors adhere to this agreed-upon standard,
file exchange will be a whole lot easier.
In the meantime, remember to send documents in one of the formats above. The
users of WordPerfect, Macintosh Appleworks, StarOffice, OpenOffice.org,
Abiword, and many other non-mainstream word processors will thank you (as well
as read your document).
Curious to know more? Read on. Richard M. Stallman has the following to say
about this topic.
And here are links to some alternative word processors:
Abiword available for Windows, Linux, BeOS and MacOSX
OpenOffice.org available for Windows, Linux/Unix, and
MacOSX
