In case you missed it, Novell now considers itself a Microsoft partner. Not bad. We might as well treat Novell as part of the Microsoft ecosystem from now on. Unsurprisingly, Novell supports OOXML. It must. And if that's not enough, Microsoft is showing off this support and uses it to stifle truly open standards.

Microsoft shows off open document lab in Cambridge

[..]

According to officials from Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft, the software stalwart is joined in the initiative by a variety of software vendors including local firms Novell Inc. of Waltham...

Enough said. Other partners are not in the open source or Linux business. Neither should Novell.

To confirm what Stephane told us some time ago, ECMA indeed appears to be an embodiment of Microsoft, at least to an extent.

Ecma International's Rex Jaeschke does not only live very close to Redmond.

[...]

Can you feel how Microsoft owns ECMA and the whole ISO process?

With escorts, moderators and 'rivals' (or devil's advocates) like these, no wonder Microsoft has come as far as it has. It's all just a game of greed and deception. It's no way to make international standards. ⬆