____/ nessuno@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx on Wednesday 29 August 2007 14:39 : \____
> Quotes are from groklaw article, below are some links.
>
> <Quote>
> IDG in Sweden is reporting the contents of a leaked Microsoft memo
> sent to Microsoft partners there, telling them to join the Swedish
> Institute of Standards and vote yes on OOXML. As you know, 20+ newly
> registered Microsoft partner companies did so, thus switching the
> expected No vote to Yes at the last minute. It says Microsoft's
> representative Klas Hammar acknowledges the memo was sent, but says it
> should not have been.
>
> It costs money to join SIS, registration of around $150 and an
> additional $1,150 or so to get to vote, so Microsoft is reported to
> have told partners in the memo that companies that paid the fee and
> voted appropriately would receive "marketing
> support" ("marknadsbidrag") and "additional support in the form of
> Microsoft resources" ("extra stöd i form av Microsoftresurser") --
> that's a translation by Groklaw member Ghost, and I also used this
> free computer translation tool.
>
> The partners didn't need to worry if they didn't know anything about
> the specification, the memo reassured them; it provided reasons why
> they should vote yes. In any case, the memo reportedly told them they
> wouldn't need to argue technical details, but would perhaps have to
> offer a few arguments why they voted yes, and these reasons would be
> provided by Microsoft. They'd have to go to two meetings.
>
> IDG hence calculates that it cost Microsoft a little less than $30,000
> to get a Yes vote in Sweden. Is this kind of pressure to tip a vote
> allowed under the ISO rules, by the way? If so, maybe it's time to
> tweak? Shouldn't voters at least have to understand the specification
> they are voting on? The public is going to be seriously impacted by
> the results of this vote. Shouldn't we expect voting to be based on
> having a clue, not just based on a list of talking points provided by
> a vendor insisting its standard be approved?
> </Quote>
>
> http://www.idg.se/2.1085/1.118337
> http://www.groklaw.net/
Criminals. In suits.
--
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