Declaration for open standards in the internet passed
,----[ Quote
| The declaration addresses the latter issue in its criticism of Microsoft's
| efforts to create the controversial Open Office Open XML (OOXML)
| specification, an alternative ISO standard to the open document format (ODF)
| already certified by the international standards organization. In a talk with
| heise online, internet pioneer Vint Cerf criticised the Redmond company, "in
| the Internet world we've learned that such things have to be nipped in the
| bud." As one of the speakers at the Geneva conference, Cerf emphasised that a
| format would be selected and standardised within the framework of the
| Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). Extensions would be agreed upon by
| consensus among the parties involved. The great success of the internet is
| based on the open standards that have been developed with this attitude.
|
| At the same time, Cerf recalled the standardization work that he influenced
| to a great extent surrounding the TCP/IP internet protocol, for which a
| special Internet Configuration Control Board (ICCB) was established in the
| 1970s. At that time, Microsoft did not occupy the role it does today in the
| computer industry; Big Blue was the heavyweight back then. "If IBM had
| decided not to implement TCP/IP at that time, pushing its own standard
| instead, the Internet wouldn't exist," Cerf emphasised.
|
| The Redmonders took part in the ODF standardization process, Cerf pointed out
| regarding the current discussion. That they now want to do their own thing
| can only be explained, says the Google evangelist, by their recognition of
| the commercial value of net-based software and that they have a "proprietary
| interest" in developing such programs.
`----
http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/104270
Recent:
Microsoft "persuades" NGOs to support OOXML
,----[ Quote ]
| Our friends at Linux Delhi have put up a copy of the form letters that
| Microsoft has been sending NGOs on the OOXML issue. Apparently, these NGOs
| have been sending copies of these letters to the Ministry of IT and Bureau of
| Indian standards.
`----
http://osindia.blogspot.com/2008/02/microsoft-persuades-ngos-to-support.html
Developers around the world, unite!
,----[ Quote ]
| Monopoly and proprietary software have an advantage in influencing state and
| governmental institutions because of their large market base and ready
| capital. Unscrupulous ways of influencing state governments have persisted in
| India, for example, where executives of proprietary software cajole
| government heads to promote their brands in lieu of some form of charity
| given. FLOSS activists must overcome this huge challenge in order to get
| their philosophy accepted and model implemented for the good of people who
| are still on the barren side of the digital divide.
`----
http://thepost.com.pk/OpinionNews.aspx?dtlid=147277&catid=11
Using NGOs to Push Agendas
,----[ Quote ]
| The extent to which Microsoft can go in its efforts to get OOXML is
| interesting. Microsoft has "persuaded" several non-profit organizations to
| bombard the Indian IT Secretary and the Additional Director General of the
| Bureau of Indian Standards with letters supporting its OOXML proposal. A copy
| of the form letter they have been circulating to NGOs is given below.
| Somebody should interview these NGOs to see how much they really know about
| OOXML and open standards.
|
| The sequence of events leading up to the spamming of GoI? is:
|
| Letter from an NGO thanking Microsoft (name changed to protect their
| identity)
`----
http://wiki.linux-delhi.org/cgi-bin/twiki/view/OpenStandards/MsNgoLobby
|
|
