First new principles, now an interoperability initiative for OOXML
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft also announced this afternoon the release of the first 1.1 edition
| of a stand-alone translator between ODF and OOXML documents. This project is
| currently being hosted on SourceForge. BetaNews located the project, and
| noted that only the command-line version of the translator has thus far been
| upgraded to version 1.1.
|
| A check of the release notes show that many formatting features between Word
| 2007 and ODF documents are lost in the translation, even for the 1.1 version.
| Page background colors, background images for tables, variable font weight,
| blinking text (a holdover from the MS-DOS era), text rotation, capitalized or
| lower-case text as an applied format, embedded objects, and hidden sections
| are among the 41 known formatting elements that the newest build of the
| translator does not currently support.
`----
http://www.betanews.com/article/First_new_principles_now_an_interoperability_initiative_for_OOXML/1204836253
Poor interoperability is in Microsoft's best interests, especially after the
March vote casting.
A “Word” on Document Interoperability
,----[ Quote ]
| This document incompatibility shows it’s ugly side when you can’t open files
| from other people using another piece of software. This is why I do not
| believe taking on a large task such as creating OOXML was really worth the
| effort. Creating a new document format in the face of another format
| perfected for the job at hand, reinforced the beliefs of many that Microsoft
| wants to control all of the standards they use. Strangely enough, if they
| had chosen to use ODF, it would have helped their ailing PR by showing people
| that they are indeed interested in making document compatibility a true
| focus. That decision would most certainly be more consumer-friendly than
| adding in the OOXML format, or a piece rather, into Office 2007, causing
| confusion with consumers about whether or not others can read their
| documents.
`----
http://jonreagan.wordpress.com/2008/03/10/a-word-on-document-interoperability/
More useless throwaway from ISO:
OOXML Purdah Again
http://www.adjb.net/index.php?entry=entry080310-094712
Related:
ISO Statement on the BRM: Public Stay Out
,----[ Quote ]
| So much for an open standard. I have a question for the ISO. Have all prior
| meetings been run like this? In the deepest shade you can find? You know they
| have not, and I know they have not.
|
| So, how about letting us listen to audio of the meeting, so we can compare
| claims now coming from all sides? There are so many different accounts, and
| they don't all sync up. Given that this format, if accepted, will impact us
| little people, not just a bunch of vendors, how about letting us in enough to
| make it at least possible to figure out who is telling the truth?
|
| Hey, EU Commission. Did you know that there is reportedly audio made of the
| BRM meeting?
`----
http://homembit.com/2008/03/at-the-end-what-we-did-in-geneva.html
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
|
|
