Bonum Certa Men Certa

OOXML: Deception, Lies, FUD, Apple & Germany Become Microsoft Tools

Germany Has Been 'Corrupted' by Microsoft



A couple of days ago, the press heralded that Germany would approve fast-tracking of OOXML. Right now, once the complete story comes to light, the press seems uninterested. We have seen this before. None of us truly expected the vote in Germany to be made calmly. Our suspicions were indeed justified. Groklaw has compiled and published some of the stories which the "big press" won't bring to the attention of a wider audience.

It looks like Germany is the new Portugal, actually. You do remember how in Portugal IBM and Sun were not allowed in the room because it was allegedly "too small" despite having empty chairs? Well, in Germany, Google and Deutsche Telekom were allowed in the room but were not allowed to vote, heise says.


It is truly amazing, yet by no means surprising.

Apple Goes Batting for OOXML



Recall what we said previously about Apple. It is among those that combat ODF. Microsoft is conveniently using Apple as a negotiation card in their 'political' debating technique (it turns technical discussions into political ones). Not only is the trial version of iWorks OOXML-deficient, but on the face of it, the whole software is lacking and thus Microsoft's argument is void.

When Apple released iWork '08, the Microsoft bloggers immediately jumped in to comment on how this is proof that MSOOXML is easily implementable by third parties. First of all, we need to realise that Apple sits in the Technical Committee at Ecma which "developed" this so called standard. So we should not be surprised at all if they have support of this file format in their upcoming products including the iPhone.

What is not said however, and I have been waiting for days for a response from Microsoft's Stephen McGibbon, is why Apple does NOT really support MSOOXML....

And it gets more interesting. The Cybertech Rambler has taken some time out to review the file formats in iWork '08. ...He also confirms what the Microsofties refuse to confirm: "on closer reading of iWorks website and documentation, it appears that iWorks can only read OOXML file but cannot write it. That’s a pity."


Correcting Microsoft Disinformation



The lies and deception, which we mention time and time again, is apparently here to stay. All one can do it rebut. Here is some of the latest:

I think it is important to correct the false - or maybe misquoted - statements by Vijay Kapoor, national technology officer of Microsoft India that I found in this interview under the question "Why does Microsoft want another standard, what's the rationale?". Microsoft starts the reply with "There are at least 4 good reasons why:" and then states the first reason.

[...]

Thus, all in all, the arguments provided by Microsoft in the interview don't seem to be valid.


Bob Sutor needed to make another important clarification after some false claims had been made.

...Unless, of course, Microsoft = OOXML as far as ECMA is concerned. If this is the case, I would like to hear this from ECMA because it would simplify matters.


Google a Possible Victim of FUD, Speaks Out About OOXML



A few days, the Burton Group published what seems like an anti-Google Apps 'study' (danger to one's career). I was unable to find evidence that Microsoft was a sponsor, but in any event, Google is no friend to OOXML [PDF].

Google is concerned about the potential adoption of Microsoft's Office Open XML (OOXML) format as an ISO standard.


This 3-page document says a lot about Google's concern. At the same time, Microsoft is concerned about the rising popularity of Web-based Office suite applications, such as Google's. There was an admission of this in a recent conference.

Recent Techrights' Posts

It's Cheaper to Pay Bribes (and Produce Press Releases) Than to Pay Fines (After Lots of Negative Publicity)
Does the UK still have real sovereignty or do corporations from overseas purchase decisions and outcomes?
November 2023 Over With GNU/Linux at All-Time Highs According to statCounter
ChromeOS+GNU/Linux combined are about 7% of the "market"
 
Links 01/12/2023: Facebook Infested With Malicious Campaigns by Imposters, ACLU Gives Advice on Doxxing and Online Harassment
Links for the day
Just Like Its Budget Allocation, the Linux Foundation Devotes About 3% Of Its Latest Newsletter to Linux, Devotes More to Linux's Rivals
It's just exploiting the brand
Links 01/12/2023: Google Invokes Antitrust Against Microsoft
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news
UK Government Allowing Microsoft to Take Over Activision Blizzard Will Destroy Jobs
Over 30,000 fired this year? More?
New Report Provides Numerical Evidence That Google Hired Too Many People From Microsoft (and Became Malicious, Evil, Sociopathic)
"Some 12,018 former Microsoft employees currently work for the search and data giant"
Google: Keep Out, Don't Save Your Files, and Also Let Us Spy on Everything You Do
Do you still trust "clown" storage?
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, November 30, 2023
IRC logs for Thursday, November 30, 2023
Links 01/12/2023: Many Suppressions in Hong Kong and Attempts to Legitimise Illegal and Unconstitutional Fake Patent 'Court' in EU (UPC)
Links for the day
Gemini Not Deflated Yet (Soon Turning 5!)
Gemini numbers still moving up, the protocol will turn five next summer
Links 30/11/2023: Belated End of Henry Kissinger and 'Popular Science' Shuts Online Magazine
Links for the day
Site Priorities and Upcoming Improvements
pages are served very fast
[Meme] One Person, Singular Pronoun
Abusing people into abusing the English language is very poor diplomacy
Ending Software Patents in Recent Years (Software Freedom Fighters MIA)
not a resolved issue
New Article From Richard Stallman Explains Why He Says He and She for Unknown Person (Not 'They')
"Nowadays I use gender-neutral singular pronouns for a person whose gender I don't know"
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, November 29, 2023
IRC logs for Wednesday, November 29, 2023
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news
Links 30/11/2023: Rushing Patent Cases With Shorter Trial Scheme (STS), Sanctions Not Working
Links for the day
Links 30/11/2023: Google Purging Many Accounts and Content (to Save Money), Finland Fully Seals Border With Russia
Links for the day
Lookout, It's Outlook
Outlook is all about the sharing!
Updated A Month Ago: Richard Stallman on Software Patents as Obstacles to Software Development
very recent update
The 'Smart' Attack on Power Grid Neutrality (or the Wet Dream of Tiered Pricing for Power, Essentially Punishing Poorer Households for Exercising Freedom Like Richer Households)
The dishonest marketing people tell us the age of disservice and discrimination is all about "smart" and "Hey Hi" (AI) as in algorithms akin to traffic-shaping in the context of network neutrality
Links 29/11/2023: VMware Layoffs and Too Many Microsofters Going Inside Google
Links for the day
Is BlueMail a Client of ZDNet Now?
Let's examine what BlueMail does to promote itself
Just What LINUX.COM Needed After Over a Month of Inactivity: SPAM SPAM SPAM (Linux Brand as a Spamfarm)
It's not even about Linux
Microsoft “Discriminated Based on Sexuality”
Relevant, as they love lecturing us on "diversity" and "inclusion"...
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, November 28, 2023
IRC logs for Tuesday, November 28, 2023