Masschusetts OpenDocument Decision Goes Final

In the event that you hadn’t heard yet, the proposal to mandate the Open Document Format as the default office productivity format for the state of Massachusetts has gone final. I’ve gone on at length on this previously, so I won’t rehash those arguments here except to say that I support the state’s decision. If you want to understand the basis for this decision, however, I highly suggest you give this audio a listen (via Berlind). If you’re pressed for time, Tim Bray’s got some notes of the event here. The notes, however, didn’t convey adequately the seriousness of the questions of sovereignty and document-as-a-foundation-for-government in the mind of MA Secy of Administration & Finance, Eric Kriss. Very interesting listen, whichever side of the debate you find yourself on.