Bonum Certa Men Certa

ISO Finds a Home at Microsoft, Hostility Towards ODF Made Subtle

ISO Sold Out to ECMA



Summary: More of the incestuous relationship between ISO, Microsoft, and SC34; new Microsoft tricks in the EU

MOST people probably never noticed (or cannot remember) Microsoft paying for an ISO-associated dinner in Korea and paying for the meeting in Norway. It is all just part of a pattern which shows ISO shaking like a feather, dancing to the tune of Microsoft cash.



Microsoft is now organising the next ISO SC34 meeting. Yes, it will all take place in Redmond and shall revolve around Microsoft's OOXML maintenance.

We already know that SC34 is a mess -- a mess which is dominated by Microsoft-faithful folks who are hostile towards ODF. According to the above, convenors now include Alex Brown [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21] and Patrick Durusau [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7], who have been making comments (and actions) favourable to Microsoft's proprietary format.

Also see this PDF which provides further details, such as: "For general questions about Westin meeting logistics, or things to do around Seattle, please contact Dave Welsh, dmwelsh@microsoft.com, cell phone +1 206 313 0879."

How about this: "More hotel options, at different rates, are also available. For more hotel options in the immediate Bellevue area and the Seattle vicinity, please try Live.com."

Bellevue is where a lot of Microsoft's core people reside, including its gigantic patent troll.

We have also learned that Microsoft will be the "social host" in the Seattle meetings, hosting the reception, dinner, and so on. How familiar. They will also be organising a DII event ("interop") to occur the day after the SC34 Plenary. It will take place at Microsoft, which will announce how they intend to support Office 2010 as extensions to OOXML.

The word about Office 2010 has just come out, with this new Microsoft proposal [PDF] that can be found in the company's Web site (encoded in Microsoft's proprietary format). There is some initial coverage in OS News, which starts with: "Just when you thought the world couldn't get any crazier, something happens that makes you move your expectations of the world up a few nothces. We already have to deal with the browser ballot, but that's not the only ballot Microsoft will deliver. Hold on to your panties, as Microsoft will also offer a file format ballot in Microsoft Office 2010. On a happier note, Microsoft makes a whole load of promises to the EU about opening up technologies and file formats."

Oiaohm says that it's getting "even worse [as] Microsoft seems to be out to avoid the EU regulators."

ThistleWeb argues that Microsoft's thinking is that people will be allowed to "pick from a working Microsoft format, or a (supposedly working) broken ODF". Microsoft never implemented ODF properly, after all [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].

“[M]aybe they've finally, reluctantly seen the writing on the wall, that the EU are gonna keep hammering them on case after case, with fine after fine...”
      --ThistleWeb
As Georg Greve (FSFE) put it a few days ago, "Microsoft [is] planning to freeze ODF at "broken useless" level by blocking updates at ISO? Seems quite possible according to [URL]"

The above refers to Microsoft wanting to impose RAND on Free software.

Oiaohm adds: "Microsoft is being forced to come into line with ODF 1.2 as well, but the issue is that [it's mandatory]. If it's done the wrong, way you could have produced document hell in a business."

ThistleWeb responds by hypothesising that "maybe they've finally, reluctantly seen the writing on the wall, that the EU are gonna keep hammering them on case after case, with fine after fine [...] that they're now reluctantly trying to placate the EU [...] each new fine, is another chunk of cash."

"Or maybe they are running out of money to resist," argues Oiaohm. Microsoft is already borrowing money.

Recent Techrights' Posts

Open Source Initiative (OSI) is Microsoft, It Presents Microsoft-Controlled Projects Like They're Everything That Exists in the World
They're not assessing the real data, they keep track only of projects foolish enough to choose slavery under Microsoft
Links 08/12/2023: Cyber Resilience Act in EU and Denmark Embracing 'Blasphemy Law'
Links for the day
Linus Torvalds Cannot Easily 'Offend' Companies Anymore, But Weeks Ago He Explained Why (Linux Support and Hardware Documentation Has Significantly Improved)
new clip
Links 08/12/2023: Tidal and Simplilearn Layoffs
Links for the day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, December 07, 2023
IRC logs for Thursday, December 07, 2023
[Video] The Media Facilitates Microsoft's Abuse, Bribes, and Growing Threats to National Security
The failure of the media to properly and independently explain what's happening will continue to doom the media
[Video] The Next Ten Years of Techrights in a World With Changing Threats and Technological Landscapes (or Trends That Are Buzzwords/Cargo Cults)
The video of today talks about the site's (and capsule's plan) for the future
Wikipedia is Vandalism, Brought to You by Microsoft and Bill Gates
Reprinted with permission from Ryan Farmer
Lennart Poettering and Fellow Microsofters Turn GNU/Linux Into Windows, Expect Poor Reliability With systemd-bsod
turning Linux into Microsoft Windows
The Effort to Silence (Squash) GNU/Linux Advocates and Press Coverage
If nobody even mentions it anymore, does it still exist?
Links 07/12/2023: Climate Events Occupied by Their Enemy, Workers Going on Strike
Links for the day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, December 06, 2023
IRC logs for Wednesday, December 06, 2023
A Googlebombing Campaign Targeting "Gemini" Takes on E-mail, Too
Google can do Googlebombing too (the term is even named after it)
[Video] Microsoft Without a So-called 'Common Carrier' (Windows Monoculture)
Windows Has Fallen
[Video] To Combat Efforts to Cancel or Kill the Career (and Reputation) of the People Who Made GNU/Linux We Must Rally the Community
nobody speaks better for projects and for licences than their own founders
Rumour: Major Finance Layoffs at Microsoft Next Week
If the rumour is true, we'll be hearing barely anything from the mainstream media next week
Links 07/12/2023: More EPO Patents Squashed, More Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine "Glitches" Found
Links for the day
Still Not 'Canceled'
Ted Ts'o, Jan Kara, Linus Torvalds last month
Google is Googlebombing the Term "Gemini"
Could Google not pick a name that's already "taken"?
Links 06/12/2023: Bitcoin Rebound, China Downgraded by American Firm, Yahoo! Layoffs Again
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news
Shooting the Messenger Using Bribes and Secrecy Bonds
We seem to live in a world where accountability for the rich and well-connected barely exists anymore
The Myth of an Aging (or Dying) GNU/Linux Leadership
Self-fulfilling prophecies as a tactic?
Links 06/12/2023: Many More December Layoffs
Links for the day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, December 05, 2023
IRC logs for Tuesday, December 05, 2023
PipeWire 1.0: Linux audio comes of age
Once upon a time, serious audio users like musicians and audio engineers had real trouble with Linux
This is How 'Linux' Foundation Presents Linux to the World
Right now it even picks Windows over Linux in some cases