Be careful what you ask for: you might get it. That goes double when you ask Microsoft to release its internal APIs, protocols, and file formats. It has happened, as reported here. The E.U.'s reaction was guarded. Analysts speculated that this move might help Microsoft repair its reputation. Savio wonders whether Microsoft is borrowing the "anti-lock-in" argument from the open-source software movement' Be careful what you ask for: you might get it.That goes double when you ask Microsoft to release its internal APIs, protocols, and file formats. It has happened, as reported here. The E.U.’s reaction was guarded. Analysts speculated that this move might help Microsoft repair its reputation. Savio wonders whether Microsoft is borrowing the “anti-lock-in” argument from the open-source software movement’s playbook. Zach says he’s “optimistic.”After reading some of the material about Office file formats on the Microsoft interoperability site and a little of the open protocol material on MSDN, I wonder whether releasing 30K pages of such material is actually such a good thing. I agree that it’s good in principle for Microsoft to be more open. It’s certainly a good thing for people who build open-source alternatives to Microsoft’s products, and products that interoperate with Microsoft’s. I’m not so sure it’s a good thing for me. Frankly, I was already overwhelmed trying to keep up with the explosion of APIs and classes coming out of Microsoft. And those were the ones that were designed to be used by mere mortals.Isn’t someone going to provide me with a telephone booth and a SuperProgrammer costume? Software Development