Winter cleaning: sweeping aside the truth

THE ILLEGAL BEHAVIOR of Microsoft is a subject that we covered extensively when we showed what it had done to earn ISO's approval. As a quick reminder, Microsoft threw people out of their jobs, bullied them, replaced them, bribed quite a few ballot-stuffers, blackmailed nations and possibly bribed charities, according to evidence we had gathered.

On the face of it, says Leif Lodahl, a new report commissioned by his government totally ignores all of this.

Helge Sander, Danish Minister of Science and Technology earlier this year asked an expert committee to look into the technical and legal implications of the introduction of two standards for documents in the government. The report is now ready.

[...]

In addition, the ISO approval of OOXML is considered as the final conclusion that the OOXML is an open and appropriate standard. This despite the fact that even Dansih Standards recognizes that the approval process was perhaps not completely clean and OOXML might not be quite as qualified as it seems.

The experts completely ignores the world around us. I believe that we in Denmark can't take such decisions without first looking around us. The countries which we usually compare ourselves with, may have been through similar problems. But the report is also completely ignoring this.

For information about what happened in Denmark, see:

• The Microsoft OOXML 'Corruption Train' Reaches Denmark (Updatedx2)
• OpenDocument Takes One Giant Leap, One Step Backwards
• OOXML Watch: Sweden's OOXML Fiasco Representative of the Norm?
• Today is the Day -- The Day the World Will Learn That Crime Pays
• OOXML in Norway, Denmark, and Poland... Looking More Closely at the Stories (Updated)
• ODF and OOXML in Denmark
• Quick Mention: Summary of Microsoft OOXML Manipulation and Ballot-stuffing
• How Microsoft 'Bought' Nicolas Sarkozy, France, and Parts of Europe
• Software Patents and Colombia
• Microsoft Stacks the Danish Panel Too
• More About OOXML in Denmark, Jesper Stocholm
• OOXML-style Stacking Against the Web, Denmark OOXML Complaint Filed (Updated)
• Another Official Complaint Against Microsoft/OOXML: Denmark's Turn
• Germany and Denmark Show Signs of Endorsement of Appeals, Complaints Against ISO OOXML
• Venezuela Appeals ISO Decision on OOXML (Denmark Reportedly Also)
• Another Backlash Against Microsoft in Denmark; Anger Over Microsoft Office Lock-in

Is Microsoft's revisionism [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9] already paying off? ⬆

"A stacked panel, on the other hand, is like a stacked deck: it is packed with people who, on the face of things, should be neutral, but who are in fact strong supporters of our technology. The key to stacking a panel is being able to choose the moderator. Most conference organizers allow the moderator to select die panel, so if you can pick the moderator, you win. Since you can’t expect representatives of our competitors to speak on your behalf, you have to get the moderator to agree to having only “independent ISVs” on the panel. No one from Microsoft or any other formal backer of the competing technologies would be allowed -just ISVs who have to use this stuff in the “real world.” Sounds marvellously independent doesn’t it? In feet, it allows us to stack the panel with ISVs that back our cause. Thus, the “independent” panel ends up telling the audience that our technology beats the others hands down. Get the press to cover this panel, and you’ve got a major win on your hands."

--Microsoft, secret training material [PDF]

"37 letters with exactly the same words. Some of the senders didn't even care to remove the 'Type company name here' text.
Simular letters has been circulating in Denmark as an e-mail from the Danish MD Jørgen Bardenfleth to customers and business partners.
I call it fraud, cheating and disgusting. If I wasn't anti-Microsoft before, I am now. Disgusting !"

--Leif Lodahl