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Microsoft Office is using an artificially complex XML schema as a lock-in tool
A document format is a tool for sharing knowledge and, as such, should be as simple and accessible as possible in relation to the complexity of the document content itself. This remains true even when the format is based on an XML schema that is hidden from users when the document is displayed on screen. […]
This artificial complexity is characterised by a deeply nested tag structure with excessive abstraction, dozens or even hundreds of optional or overloaded elements, non-intuitive naming conventions, the widespread use of extension points and wildcards, the multiple import of namespaces and type hierarchies, and sparse or cryptic documentation. The worst thing is that passengers don’t realise they are being held hostage by technical constraints that they cannot understand until ticket prices rise or the number of cities served declines. Instead, these users – including governments and supranational organisations – have allowed lock-in strategies, in which Microsoft 365’s artificially and unnecessarily complex XML document schema plays a fundamental strategic role, to become increasingly sophisticated and pervasive.
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