Bonum Certa Men Certa

Microsoft on OOXML: “It's a Simple Matter of [Microsoft's] Commercial Interests!“

Ouch. Nice shot in the foot there.

Open Malaysia frequently has a gem to share. This time the blog brings us some news from a meeting where Microsoft spoke about OOXML.

He was asked "Why did Microsoft push OOXML through the "Fast Track" process instead of the standard ISO process? Wouldn't they get less resistance than faced now?"

His response [Doug Mahugh, Microsoft] was very frank: "Office is a USD$10 billion revenue generator for the company. When ODF was made an ISO standard, Microsoft had to react quickly as certain governments have procurement policies which prefer ISO standards. Ecma and OASIS are 'international standards', but ISO is the international 'Gold Standard'. Microsoft therefore had to rush this standard through. Its a simple matter of commercial interests!"


This confirms a point which was raised very recently, about procurement by governments. If you can pretend it's open and bribe your way into an ISO badge that confirms it, then surely, it must be "open". Governments will take the ISO's word... never mind how it all got there.

Related and recent stories:

The OOXML Problem

Another thing, by introducing a "new fancy" document format, MS can hold a tighter grip round existing customers and get more on the false pretence that they've "opened up".


Evidence of Microsoft Influencing OOXML Votes in Nordic States

"This is how a standard is bought," Bosson wrote later. "I left the meeting in protest - pissed off."


Microsoft Memo to Partners in Sweden Surfaces: Vote Yes for OOXML

He acknowledges that the rules might need to be changed.


On possible OOXML corruption in Uruguay (the translation reveals irregularities in the process)

Recent Techrights' Posts

"Security Advantages" Explained by a Scammy "Security" Site That Uses LLMs to Spew Out Garbage
destroying the Web by saturating it with "bullshit".
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
 
Certificate Authority Let's Encrypt Falls to 0.7% in Geminispace (It Was Around 12% Just 2 Years Ago and 7.5% This Past February)
Let's Encrypt is down again
Gemini Links 13/10/2024: Self-hosting Snac2 and Invasion of e-ink
Links for the day
SDxCentral, which the Linux Foundation Paid to Produce Marketing SPAM, Has Now Become Slop (LLM Spew) Disguised as 'Articles'
Google should delist it
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, October 12, 2024
IRC logs for Saturday, October 12, 2024
Links 12/10/2024: More Site Blocking, China's Hostility, and Evan Gershkovich's Upcoming Book
Links for the day
Links 12/10/2024: Boeing to Cut 17,000 Jobs, Medieval Sleeping Habits, Warning About Liquidweb
Links for the day
Links 12/10/2024: Health, Safety and Climate Concerns
Links for the day
Gemini Links 12/10/2024: Ensemble and Assembler
Links for the day
Links 12/10/2024: TikTok Layoffs and Risk of More Wars
Links for the day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, October 11, 2024
IRC logs for Friday, October 11, 2024
Gemini Links 11/10/2024: Against Cynicism, on Atheism, and Dropping Off The Internet
Links for the day
IBM Employees Smell Another Wave of Mass Layoffs (and Explain the Signs)
IBM currently has the policy of hiding the layoffs from shareholders and from the press using NDAs
Links 11/10/2024: Lots More Censorship and Growing Concerns About Health Impact of Social Control Media
Links for the day
Going Almost 4.5 Decades Back to Find 'Dirt' on a Person
That incident was 42.5 years ago. Is that how far some people would go in an effort to discredit a person?
XBox is Dead. This is Just the Beginning.
the main reason Microsoft bought Activision/Blizzard was to hide the growing losses and failure of XBox
The Risk to the "Linux" Brand
Brands that are not guarded from misuse/abuse will inevitably lose their original meaning and their value
Gemini Links 11/10/2024: Deploying Common Lisp Programs and Examining FreeBSD
Links for the day
Links 11/10/2024: Discord Still Blocked in Turkey, Google Might be Split
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, October 10, 2024
IRC logs for Thursday, October 10, 2024