12.06.07

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ISO’s Reputation Collapses Under Heavy Weight of Microsoft Abuses

Posted in ECMA, ISO, Microsoft, Open XML at 10:22 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

To those who have followed the OOXML/ODF debate, this would hardly be surprising. The following bits are various observations, but none of these can be considered news. To some, the figure of authority which finally speaks out (and confirms it) makes all the difference in the world. Here is Martin Bryan spilling the beans.

A November informative report of Martin Bryan, Convenor, ISO/IEC JTC1/SC34 WG1 highlights the fallout of the ECMA-376 fast-track process for ISO. He says he is ‘glad to be retiring before the situation becomes impossible’

[...]

In what is an astonishingly outspoken report, Martin Bryan, Convenor, ISO/IEC JTC1/SC34 WG1 has given us insight into the total mess that Microsoft/ECMA have caused during their scandalous, underhand and unremitting attempts to get – what is a very poorly written specification {i.e. DIS 29500 aka OOXML, AR} – approved as an ISO standard. …

Dana’s latest blog item, “Microsoft accused of stacking ISO committee”, covers this latest developments as well.

In a memo sent following his last meeting as head of the working group on WG1, which is handling Microsoft’s application to make the Word format an ISO standard as ECMA 376, outgoing Governor Martin Bryan (above), an expert on SGML and XML, accused the company of stacking his group.

More reflections here and here. Glyn Moody’s blog contains some valuable links.

At the moment Groklaw speaks about Rob Weir’s observation, which is quite separate. It was mentioned yesterday.

He [Rob Weir] writes that ISO is becoming a laughing stock in IT circles and suggests standards that are outstanding be sent over to OASIS.

Finally, OpenISO has truly awoken. For months we have complained that ISO has lost its mojo, courtesy of Microsoft [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Regardless of the destiny of the ISO(‘s credibility), the big question remains: will Microsoft have bought itself an international standard? A breaking system could be mended before it’s totally broken. █

OOXML is fraud

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