Re: Proposal: Checkpoint 2.2: Move information about textformats from Note to checkpoint

On Mon, 19 Mar 2001, Ian Jacobs wrote:

  > The following may claim
  > to have XML-based "save-as" even though they may include proprietary
  > content. A Note should mention that properly left out are
  > proprietary extensions and formats like Adobe.pdf, MSWord.doc,
  > WordPerfect.wpd, etc.]

  Is "proprietary" really the distinguishing factor? I don't mind
  that PostScript is proprietary since the format is open. Is there
  a technical characteristic (or more than one) to these formats
  that we can/should point to?

I rather like the technical characteristic "these are text-based formats - it
is possible to read the actual words inside them". RTF is a proprietary
format in the sense that it is specified by Microsoft, but then HTML is
specified by the W3C.

Charles

Received on Monday, 19 March 2001 12:38:47 UTC