Standard letters with carbon copy
,----[ Quote ]
| Some people are not very good at distinguishing Carbon Copy and Blind Carbon
| Copy. Hopefully, Carbon Copy helps when Microsoft Singapore asks to send
| letters of support of OOXML to the national Standards Body.
`----
http://www.noooxml.org/forum/t-50327/standard-letters-with-carbon-copy
Microsoft's Great Besmirching
,----[ Quote ]
| Writing to MEPs (if you’re European) or to Neelie Kroes, the European
| Commissioner for Competition, (if you’re not) is one obvious action we can
| all take to press for an independent, transparent inquiry into possible
| irregularities during the OOXML voting process in Europe. But I think there’s
| something just as important that we need to start doing immediately.
|
| It is striking that some parts of Microsoft have been making soothing noises
| to the open source world, speaking of their desire to work alongside free
| software projects and to ensure “interoperability” - a favourite concept at
| the moment - between the open and closed worlds. Those voices have become
| increasingly seductive to some, especially in the open source business world,
| who would rather work with than against the Seattle behemoth, and who seem to
| believe that Microsoft is genuine in its offers. But if the whole sorry OOXML
| saga shows anything, it is Microsoft’s deep and utter contempt for the whole
| idea of an open, collaborative process based on mutual respect and consensus.
| Henceforth, members of the open source community must view with deep cynicism
| all - not just some - offers by Microsoft to work more closely with the free
| software world. If they don’t, they could find themselves used and abused
| just like the once famous, and now former, International Standards
Organisation.
`----
http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/microsofts-great-besmirching
The whole thing was delayed until Wednesday. It seems like ISO is worried. It
is indeed.
Formal Protest Filed Asking that Norway's Vote Be Annulled & KEI Statement
,----[ Quote ]
| ISO now says they will tell us the results Wednesday, not today after all. I
| suspect there may be a connection. And Microsoft says it won't say anything
| until Wednesday either, "out of respect for the standards process."
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| Hahahahaha. Priceless.
`----
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20080331144223128
New Zealand Votes No; Malaysia Tech Recommends No but It Abstains Anyway:
Australia Abstains; India Suggests
,----[ Quote ]
| People have eyes. OOXML is a mess, and the whole world knows it. And there is
| no way to wipe that stain away. Ironically, had Microsoft put it on the
| regular track, it would probably have at least been made usable, if not
| necessary. No one can make it necessary. And there can be no doubt that
| Microsoft's reputation has taken another hit, due to its behavior. We know
| now that there is no "new" Microsoft.
`----
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20080331041051415
Why is Microsoft trying so hard to prove that it's a criminal organisation?
Related:
Probe into votes on Microsoft standard
,----[ Quote ]
| The European Commission is investigating the process under which a key
| Microsoft document format could be adopted as an industry standard - a move
| that would carry significant commercial benefits for the software company.
|
| Officials at the European Commission's competition directorate have written
| to members of the International Organisation for Standardisation, asking how
| they prepared for votes in September and later this month on acceptance of
| Microsoft's OOXML document format as a worldwide standard. Without ISO
| acceptance, Microsoft could stand to lose business, particularly with
| government clients, some of which are becoming increasingly keen to use only
| ISO-certified software.
|
| The ISO process has been widely criticised, however, with some members of
| national standards' bodies accusing Microsoft and its rivals of attempting to
| influence the vote.
|
| Tim Bray, a member of the Canadian national standards body, called the
| procedure "complete, utter, unadulterated bullshit" in a recent blog posting.
|
| [...]
|
| In addition, in several countries, a large number of Microsoft partners
| joined the national standards organisations just ahead of a vote on the issue
| in September.
|
| [...]
|
| Microsoft said it openly encouraged its partners to participate in the ISO
| process, but was not funding any third parties doing so. The company said it
| would cooperate with the European Commission's inquiry.
`----
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/88e570a2-ea56-11dc-b3c9-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1
The Art of Being Mugged
,----[ Quote ]
| The four options presented were:
|
| * Option 1: Submitter's responses (Ecma's) are all automatically
| approved.
| * Option 2: Anything not discussed is not approved.
| * Option 3: Neutral third-party (ITTF) decides which Ecma responses are
| accepted
| * Option 4: Voting (approve + disapprove) must be at least 9 votes.
| Abstentions not counted.
|
| We were told that these options are not in the Directives and that were are
| given these choices because ITTF "needs to act in the best interests of the
| IEC". I don't quite get it, but there appears to be some concern over what
| the press would think if the BRM did not handle all of the comments. One NB
| requested to speak and asked, "I wonder what the press would think about
| arbitrarily changed procedures?". No response. I thought to myself, why
| wasn't ITTF thinking about the 'best interests" of JTC1 when they allowed a
| 6,045 page Fast Track submission, or ignored all those contradiction
| submissions, or decided to schedule a 5-day BRM to handle 3,522 NB comments.
| Isn't it a bit late to start worrying about what the press will think?
|
| We break for lunch.
|
| After lunch and after more discussion, the meeting adopted a variation of
| option 4, by removing the vote minimum. I believe in this vote the BRM and
| ITTF exceeded its authority and violated the consensus principles described
| in JTC1 Directives.
`----
http://www.robweir.com/blog/2008/03/art-of-being-mugged.html
Danish Unix User Group Files Complaint With EU Commission Against Denmark For
Mandating MSOOXML
,----[ Quote ]
| The Danish Unix User Group, DKUUG, has filed a formal complaint with the EU
| Commission regarding Denmark's mandating ECMA 376, better known by us as
| MSOOXML, for certain procurements.
|
| The complaint [PDF] is grounded in breach of the EC Treaty article 81 on
| unfair competition. The press release says that the regulation "can be seen
| as an attempt to continue the de facto monopoly of Microsoft in the Danish
| state on office software, as the various public agencies and institutions
| need to buy the products of Microsoft to comply to the regulation."
`----
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20080226164131724
|
|
