OpenRAW

While I feel that an open RAW specification from every manufacturer would be a nice and admirable thing, I don't believe that this is a reasonable expectation.

Incompatible and obsolete data/media formats are the norm in many fields. Do you still have a reader for your 8" floppies? How about your 5.25"? Did you notice that new computers don't even have 3.5" drives as standard?

In the computer world (which is exactly where we are with digital photography) we have always faced conversion issues -- at some point we had to convert our data from an old system to a new system. Why should digital images be any different?

Look at the wide range of specialized digital image formats that are used by industrial, commercial, and medical systems. Do you think that MRI manugacturers are going to agree to standard data formats?

The driving force for any manufacturer is to be able to produce a "better" end product for the consumer/customer. This translates to a competitive edge that they hope will result in better sales and profits. Standards are an impediment in their view.

How many people do you know who program in ADA -- the standardized langiuage of the government?

I strongly oppose Adobe's efforts at an "open" RAW format -- I believe it is very self-serving.