Head over to Bob's blog and read his extensive analysis, which includes some lesser-restrained bits of information such as:

There were so many things fundamentally wrong with how OOXML entered the standards process, was propped up and pushed forward, and just never seemed to go away even in the face of withering analysis and criticism, that it is now clear that things have to change. Rather than dwell on that, though, let’s use it as an example that we should ensure never gets repeated.

[...]

However, there are also inconsistencies, unbalanced influence, and a glaring lack of transparency in some other important efforts. While preserving the necessary autonomy of organizations, we can nevertheless work together to identify the models by which they can improve the service they provide to their constituents.

Bob talks about "ensure[ing it] never gets repeated," but as we've learned over the years, as long as Microsoft prevails and gets away with the corruption we have all witnessed, nothing will change and these patterns will have things be repeated. The good news, however, is that the developments in Europe (the Commissions's ruling) is apparently having the desired effect on lawmakers in the United States. Here is the very latest about extending the Microsoft oversight.

A group of state attorneys general urged a federal judge to extend court oversight of Microsoft Corp., saying they continue to have concerns over the state of competition in the personal computer software marketplace.

The states include California, Connecticut, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts and Minnesota, as well as the District of Columbia.

Almost every aspect of the oversight of Microsoft is due to expire in November, after five years of the company having to regularly appear before Judge Kollar-Kotelly's court and account for its activities.

The states, known as the California Group, opposed the original consent decree between Microsoft and the U.S. Department of Justice and several other state antitrust authorities in 2002.

The decree didn't go far enough to curb Microsoft's anticompetitive behavior, the group said.

Let us hope that all the manipulations, to which Novell, Xandros, Linspire and others are all tied through lavish deals, will never be repeated. A structural remedy, as proposed on several occasions by Miss Neelie Kroes, might be needed.

Related articles:

• Evidence of Microsoft Influencing OOXML Votes in Nordic States



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



• The OOXML Problem