A Standards Game for a Summer's Day
,----[ Quote ]
| That primary source is a statement posted by Microsoft SA (as in South
| Africa) at a PR site called MyPressportal, urging the South African National
| Body to vote "yes" on OOXML. The version below is complete and unaltered.
|
| So here's the game mentioned in the title to this blog entry: you've all seen
| those pictures in the paper where you are supposed to look for the things
| that aren't "right" in the picture (why does the man have two different color
| socks? How come the car is missing one tire?)
`----
http://www.consortiuminfo.org/standardsblog/article.php?story=20070804091327626
>From http://www.groklaw.net/newsitems.php
Out of the Horse's Mouth - MS on Portugal's Exclusion of IBM
[PJ: You know what Microsoft's problem really is? They've lost the ability to
feel ashamed.]
MS: "There is no question that all over the world the competing interests in
the Open XML standardization process are going to use all tactics available to
them within the rules."
Related:
Microsoft FUD Watch, 8-3-07
,----[ Quote ]
| At first glance, Robertson's statement is fairly innocuous. He is referring
| to Massachusetts' decision to support OOXML (Open Office XML) formats. The
| best FUD isn't immediately obvious. Microsoft PR agency sent this statement
| proactively, with lots of additional information. Usually, I have to pull out
| information kicking and screaming; it doesn't come this easy. There is a
| reason, and it's FUD.
|
| Microsoft is trying to fast track OOXML through ISO ratification, but there
| has been resistance. Even the United States ISO representative committee has,
| so far, failed to support OOXML standards ratification. Microsoft needed some
| good news, and Massachusetts delivered some—and powerful, because the
| Commonwealth had planned to dump Office altogether.
|
| Microsoft's Doug Mahugh and Jason Matusow piped in with blogs about the OOXML
| support by Massachusetts, which was expected, by the way. It's all FUD
| because the reasoning is this: If Massachusetts now considers OOXML open, it
| must truly be open. The Commonwealth also considers Adobe's PDF as open, too.
| It's not.
`----
http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/business_applications/microsoft_fud_watch_8307.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535
The Cradle of Independence Rolls Over for Microsoft
,----[ Quote ]
| The alarming thing is that Massachusetts is just one of several states that
| are in the same boat. Bill Gates and Company get wind that a state is
| thinking about adopting an open format and they send in the lobbyists.
`----
http://www.linux.org/news/opinion/mass_oxml.html
Microsoft rewrites history in Massachusetts
http://www.businessreviewonline.com/os/archives/2007/08/microsoft_rewri.html
Microsoft Breaks the [ODF] Plugins
,----[ Quote ]
| Sun is having trouble because Microsoft is breaking interoperability
| deliberately through hi-jinks with the Dynamic-Link Libraries ("dll") in
`----
http://fussnotes.typepad.com/plexnex/2007/08/microsoft-break.html
Secrets and anonymous comments
,----[ Quote ]
| Every once is a while I get an anonymous comment or a tip about something
| that happened in “closed” standards meetings. This is especially true lately
| where the various national bodies are deliberating whether they should
| support Microsoft’s OOXML product specification for Microsoft Office.
|
| [...]
|
| Slanted, inappropriate, and biased behavior (in any way in any direction and
| for anyone) is not allowable, in my mind, when deciding this and other
| important standards issues. I repeat: All this information must be made
| public and those running the processes must be accountable to each other,
| their fellow citizens, and the various standards organizations and committees
| in which they participate.
`----
http://www.sutor.com/newsite/blog-open/?p=1772
Microsoft is Outmuscling OOXML Opposition in Spain
,----[ Quote ]
| The Andalusian Government has reported recently the manipulation of Microsoft
| in the National Technical Committee 71 of AENOR. On July 10th, just the day
| before the one and only meeting of AENOR to study DIS 29500 and vote on it,
| Microsoft announced officially (via the secretary of the Committee) that that
| Andalusian Government and several other Spanish public entities were asking
| for the approval of ISO DIS 29500 (what finally resulted all a fake!).
`----
http://boycottnovell.com/2007/07/27/ooxmll-spain/
IBM is still locked out of the Portuguese OOXML meeting
,----[ Quote ]
| In spite of various communications, we [IBM] are still locked out and will
| not be allowed to participate. Microsoft will be there, as well as a special
| Microsoft guest, as will various Microsoft business partners, and others.
`----
http://www.sutor.com/newsite/blog-open/?p=1755
OOXML does not buy its way in Italy
,----[ Quote ]
| Particularly noteworthy is the fact that among those favouring the adoption
| of the standard without reservation a large majority is made of business
| partners of the proposing entity [Microsoft], a law firm retained by the
| latter, the official certified business partners association of the proposing
| entity.
`----
http://www.piana.eu/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=52&Itemid=1#0
http://www.openxml.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=category§ionid=5&id=7&Itemid=13
,----[ Quote ]
| [PJ: OpenXML.info is reporting (in Portuguese, but a Groklaw member
| translates for us) that the person who is head of the ISO technical committee
| about to vote on Microsoft's Ecma-376 wouldn't let IBM and Sun
| representatives in, claiming there was no room! This, if true, is ridiculous.
| And here is a second source reporting the same thing, also in Portuguese. So
| in the US, we hear reports of packing the TC. Now, it's weeding out those who
| are not likely to vote a certain way desired? Is this how standards
| get "approved"? I don't recall ODF having to play such games. Here is the
| rough translation:]
|
| Portugal, and more concretely, its national organization of certification IPQ
| is a member "O" (observator) of ISO/IEC for the voting of OOXML (ISO DIS
| 29500).
|
| WARNING: the first meeting of the Technical Commission "Language for document
| definition" was on Monday 16 of July. The vote was delayed. Representatives
| of IBM and Sun were not allowed to attend because there "was no available
| space in the room"
|
| Dear G [Sun Microsystems] due of restricted number of members of the CT
| (Commissao Tecnica) that can attend the scheduled meeting room to host the
| meeting, we cannot, in this stage, accept your proposal of integration of the
| CT.
|
| With my best regards,
| D [Microsoft as president of the Technical Commission]
`----
http://mv.asterisco.pt/2007/Jun/cat.cgi?MS%20OOXML
,----[ Quote ]
| * More details are emerging from Portugal regarding the kerfuffle there
| over Ecma-376. If you read Portuguese, here you go -- just click on the
| link. I asked a Groklaw member to do a rough translation, and if you see
| ways to improve it, sing out, but it gives a bit of the history of how
| this committee that has no room for Sun or IBM (see previous News Picks
| item) was formed and how it happened to choose a Microsoft representative
| to be president of the committee that decides whether to "approve"
| Microsoft's submission as a "standard". Unless I'm missing something, it
| appears to have been set up so Microsoft can "approve" itself. Now that's
| handy. Here's the translation of the part about how Microsoft is
| represented on this committeee with no room for IBM or Sun:]
|
| I was present on the meeting of the Technical Commission (CT) created
| to award the ISO standards in the area of structured documents (in
| Portugal)
|
| A Technical Commission (CT) did not exist when ISO 26300 (Open
| Document) was submitted neither when there was a submission of OOXML
| (ECMA 376, potential ISO 29500) for the the fast track, and that was
| the reason why Portugal did not submit any opinion nor had any right to
| vote. We expect that now, with the pressure made and the CT created
| there would be right to vote.
|
| The CT was created by the Computing Institute, in which is delegated
| the responsability for the norms of the IT sector; a delegation granted
| by the Portuguese Institute of Quality (IPQ), the point of contact of
| ISO in Portugal. Its creation is motivated mainly by the pressures and
| availability of some people when the proposal for fast tracking of
| OOXML and a neccessity to avail now the OOXML as standard ISO and as a
| Portuguese National Standard
|
| In the meeting they were present:
|
| * 2 persons from II (Instituto de Informatica [Computing Institute])
| * 1 person from the local government (Alentejo region)
| * 1 person from Jurinfor [Jurinfor is a Microsoft partner]
| * 2 persons from Microsoft
| * 1 person from Primavera [Primavera is a Microsoft partner]
| * 1 person from ISCTE
| * 2 persons from Assoft [reportedly, most members of ASSOFT are Microsoft
| partners]
| * 1 person from the Inst. Informatica da Seg Social [Computing Institute
| of the Social Welfare Department]
| * 1 person from the Inst. Tecn. Informacao da Justiça (eu) [Technical
| Institute Information of Justice (eu)]
|
| The meeting dealt basically with the bureaucracy details of the creation of
| the CT. It didn't go into details of OOXML; that discussion will be held in
| the next meeting, on July 16th about 14:30 in the II [Instituto de
| Informatica, I assume]
|
| The CT, thus, was composed of 8 vocal elements, one representative for each
| of the organizations present. The II [Instituto de Informatica] is arranging
| and hosting the initiative and is a not-named representative.
|
| The 8 vocals will readily follow to the election of the president of the CT.
| There was 1 candidate in the place (Miguel Sales Dias, from Microsoft). I did
| not present my candidature but made myself available in case the rest of
| representatives deemed it neccesary -- informed not adequate since to begin
| with, as a member of the OpenDocument Alliance, I had a conflict of interest.
|
| The vote results were 7 votes in favor of Miguel Sales Dias, of Microsoft,
| who was designated to preside over the CT, and a (1) blank vote.
|
| It was decided to adopt consensus as the form of adoption of any proposed
| norm, following to majority vote in case there is no consensus in the CT and
| if there is a strong opposition to submit any norm.
`----
How the Game is Played: INCITS V1 Narrowly Votes Down OOXML
,----[ Quote ]
| As significantly, Rob reports that a very dramatic increase in the membership
| of V1 was observed in the months leading up to the vote – most of whom were
| coincidentally were representatives of Microsoft business partners, and the
| great majority of whom voted as a block in favor of advancing the
| specification in a manner that would permit, and against any vote that would
| prevent, final approval as an ISO/IEC standard.
`----
http://www.consortiuminfo.org/standardsblog/article.php?story=20070715200544734
Packing The Court At The ISO?
,----[ Quote ]
| ...P member countries ('participating member' countries) sending
| representatives, and I am interested to note the majority of
| their representatives are, as individuals, also Microsoft employees.
|
| [...]
|
| How can they not see that OOXML (ECMA 376) is unwanted by anyone outside of
| Microsoft? How about it Brian Jones? Are you really so desperate that you
| have to resort to that?
`----
http://lnxwalt.wordpress.com/2007/03/23/packing-the-court-at-the-iso/
OOXML Fails to Gain Approval in US
,----[ Quote ]
| On Friday July 13th, INCITS V1 met via teleconference for 3 hours but failed
| to reach a 2/3 consensus necessary to recommend an "Approval, with comments"
| position on Microsoft "Office Open XML" (OOXML) document specification.
`----
http://www.robweir.com/blog/2007/07/ooxml-fails-to-gain-approval-in-us.html
Guest Commentary: The converter hoax
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft maintains that while it would have been easy to support the Open
| Document Format (ODF) natively, it had to move to MS-OOXML because this was
| the only way for them to offer the full features of its office suite. But if
| Microsoft itself is not able to represent its internal data structures in the
| Open Document Format (ODF) in its Microsoft Office suite, how could an
| external conversion program from MS-OOXML accomplish this task? The answer to
| both questions is that it is not possible because two things cannot be the
| same and different at the same time.
`----
http://www.heise.de/open/artikel/92735
Sock Puppets to VoteSock Puppets to Vote on Monopoly Enablement in Colombia?
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft sets the deck of card and ensures that (at least) 9 of out 14
| chairs in the technical committee are also in its pocket.
`----
http://boycottnovell.com/2007/08/03/colombia-ooxml/
|
|
