This Web sites has been guilty of inadvertently promoting the use of proprietary technology which puts Web standards at risk. We frequently cite and embed Flash videos. It’s not reasonable to just rely on the existence of gnash. From this point on, videos will be converted to Ogg and be made available whenever possible (copyrights must still be honoured). The previous post has already been updated to correct this mistake.
”Microsoft intends to gradually replace not only Flash but also (X)HTML.“Realisation of the important role of Web standards is key. The newest problems are well explained by the following two essays which were published today or yesterday. The first one speaks about the Halloween Documents and highlights issues that what we have covered here tirelessly.
Microsoft intends to gradually replace not only Flash but also (X)HTML. The goal is to turn the Web into a private property where the gatekeeper is a single company. At the moment, Novellhelpsthishappen. I’ve had arguments about it in YouTube comments (videos extolling the virtues of Silverlight/XAML), but the average non-technical person is likely to be lured and fall into this trap. People are given free tools to lock themselves in without being aware of it. That’s one of Microsoft’s greatest talents.
First of all, everyone interested in the well being of the free world and the existence of competition in the software market should be able to recognize such strategies employed by companies wanting to create vendor lock-in traps. Second of all there are several other efforts at the time being going on which tries to accomplish the same thing in other arenas. One such example is XAML and Silverlight which effectively tries to de-commoditize the markup languages we are using today on the web. The fact that the HTML have been a commodity product have been the very back-bone of the success of the internet as we know it today. If HTML is replaced by XAML or other proprietary technologies, the free world on the internet as we know it today will be the victim.
[...]
Standardized protocols and languages are the best way to ensure commoditization of the very fabric of society. Use standard based software and protocols where possible. Say no to proprietary new and improved versions of existing standards. Use JavaScript instead of Silverlight, use HTML instead of XAML, choose tools that obeys to the standards as much as possible instead of those that tries to create “new and improved” versions. Choose Free Software where possible and least of all; do not fall for Embrace, Extend and Extinguish strategies.
Here is another good summary of recent events. Such events sabotaged attempts to help Web standards evolve to facilitate openness.
Ian Hickson, speaking for the HTML5 working group, recently announced that he removed the suggested Ogg Theora+Vorbis language from the HTML5 specification. The replacement language says that there should be unencumbered common audio and video formats in HTML but it doesn’t suggest any specific means of accomplishing that.
How did this situation come to pass? What happened between the time this spec was drafted and now? Corporate influence, in a nutshell. Apple and Nokia’s complaints have found an ear with those working on HTML specs.
What can you do to stop this? Raise the issue far and wide with everyone, even non-technical computer users. It’s time that these issues no longer live exclusively in the realm where only geeks tread.
Apple and Nokia never liked the language supporting Ogg Vorbis+Theora codecs. Nokia lied by claiming Ogg Vorbis and Theora were “proprietary”. What Nokia probably meant is that the evolution of the Vorbis and Theora codecs were not under the control of a corporate board which Nokia could become a member (and thus have a hand in controlling how Theora and Vorbis improve). Ogg Theora+Vorbis specifications are available for anyone to use for any purpose.
Regardless of the FUD from Nokia, this site will embrace Ogg and hopefully help increase Ogg’s presence on the Web. █
An industry coalition that has represented competitors of Microsoft in European markets before the European Commission stepped up its public relations offensive this morning, this time accusing Microsoft of scheming to upset HTML’s place in the fabric of the Internet with XAML, an XML-based layout lexicon for network applications.
The "developers!" video and "monkey dance" have probably been swatched by… well, pretty much everyone in the IT industry, but this one is even less known than Steve Ballmer’s Windows 1.0 ad, which was authentic (no parody intended).
That second guy is Brian Valentine, who left Microsoft after the Trouble better known as “Vista”.
The Novell and Microsoft alliance is based on a foundation to expand innovation and collaboration through a mutual respect for intellectual property.
This press release (quoted at the bottom in full) smells rather bad. It can be said almost for certain that someone pulled a cheque or made these notorious phonecalls to have it dispatched. Mind the use of the weasel word (or term) 'Intellectual Property'. It’s there for a reason. F&S seems to have been very busy with Microsoft lately. Only 3 ago it also unleashed a press release that praises Microsoft. What does that firm do anyway? The 3-day-old press release says it best:
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Consulting Company, partners with clients to accelerate their growth.
”They will attack the European Commission, the FSF, the GNU GPL, and anything else that puts Microsoft’s business goals or ambition in jeopardy.“It’s safe to assume that F&S’s “client and partner” is Microsoft in this case, and it is trying to help Microsoft “accelerate their growth”. It pretty much sums up the role of such analysts. Remember CompTIA, a Microsoft lobbying arm? We mentioned it before and always in a negative context because it merely serves the Microsoft business agenda [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16]. That is what such parties are being paid for. When Microsoft needs a third-party proxy that serves as a seemingly-independent mouthpiece, a group of analysts and lobbying arms such as ACT will be available. They will attack the European Commission, the FSF, the GNU GPL, and anything else that puts Microsoft’s business goals or ambition in jeopardy.
Microsoft and industry body Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) have teamed up to drive the adoption of Office Open XML in the Philippines.
The co-founders of two of the world’s most successful, recognizable and innovative information technology (IT) companies are the industry’s most influential personalities of the past 25 years, according to a poll by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA).
All praise Mr. Gates. In another recent press release, CompTIA called Internet Explorer — as notorious as it may be — the most influential technology.
Here are some examples of individuals serving Microsoft using the hat of “independent analysts”. Michael Gartenberg was a Microsoft Evangelist (briefly), but that didn’t prevent him from commenting positively about Microsoft products and slamming Microsoft’s competitors with the hat of “just another pundit”.
After only three weeks at Microsoft as an “evangelist,” Michael Gartenberg is returning to his old job as vice president and research director at JupiterResearch.
Vista hasn’t done so well in other year-end reviews. Last week, my former JupiterResearch colleague Michael Gartenberg observed that “Vista’s been really getting slapped around lately.” Oh, is that an understatement.
There are other individual examples just like that. Jeff Gould, for instance, is frequently caught provoking, trolling, flame-baiting, and assisting his friends at Microsoft with such FUD. Laura DiDio, Maureen O’Gara and Dan Lyons fit the bill as well. And then there’s Rob Enderle, who appears to be struggling to have his stuff accepted for publication nowadays (he is embargoed in places).
We wrote a lot in the past about the coordinated smear campaign, which this leaked set of documents from Microsoft[PDF] says more than plenty about. It’s a strategic thing. It is deliberate and it is seen as vital.
Returning to the root of this post, here is the press release in full (appended for completeness and for future reference):
Microsoft & Novell win 2007 Frost & Sullivan Industry Innovation and Advancement Award for System Interoperability
Sunday December 30 6:09 PM
Frost & Sullivan awarded Microsoft & Novell the Industry
Innovation and Advancement Award for System Interoperability at its
recently held ’2007 India ICT Awards’. The award for Industry
Innovation is presented each year to companies for broader, more
comprehensive participation in the industry and contributions to the
advancement of the market. This is the first time the award has been
presented for interoperability.
Receiving the award, Mr. Radhesh Balakrishnan, Director- Platform
Strategy, Microsoft India, said, “Interoperability is one of the top
priorities for Microsoft and this award is a testament to our effort
and investments in this area. We are focused on achieving
Interoperability by design and by working closely with the industry,
community and the standards bodies. We are excited about this
prestigious award recognizing our approach to addressing the customer
needs in partnership with Novell. This award further strengthens our
commitment and we look forward to working closely with customers in
India to help systematically address their interoperability needs.”
Enterprises are familiar with issues associated with working in a
heterogeneous IT environment. Late last year, on November 2nd, 2006,
Microsoft and Novell signed a landmark agreement focused on bridging
the worlds of proprietary and open source technology with a focus on
to improving interoperability for mixed IT environments.
The Novell and Microsoft alliance is based on a foundation to
expand innovation and collaboration through a mutual respect for
intellectual property. As a result, both organizations have
collaborated to help improve Windows and Linux interoperability in
four areas: virtualization, systems management, directory integration
and identity, and office document formats. This technology will help
customers reduce costs in their data centers, gain new levels of
flexibility, and streamline operations, all with complete IP peace of
mind.
According to Dr. T.R Madan Mohan, Director (Consulting), ICT
Practice, Frost & Sullivan, South Asia & Middle East, “Enterprises
today have geographically dispersed complex, heterogeneous hardware
and software systems. The ability of systems to cooperate, communicate
and use the information transferred amongst them, is interoperability,
hence it becomes important to exploit the IT systems deployment. From
a software perspective, interoperability of the systems is to exchange
data based on common set of procedures, protocols, and formats.
Microsoft and Novell, by signing to support interoperability between
world’s largest OS and popular Open Source Novell Suse Linux have
committed to reduce the cost of operating hybrid systems.”
To choose a recipient of this award, the analyst team tracks
emerging and existing markets and evaluates the contributions of
industry participants. This is accomplished through interviews with
all the market participants, and extensive secondary research.
Industry contributions that are considered, are elements such as the
creation of new industry standards and the adoption of a product or
process by leading manufacturers. Finally, competitors are compared
and ranked for relative position. Frost & Sullivan then narrows down
and presents the award to the company that has most altered the
industry due to its creativeness and innovation.
In addition to the above methodology, there are specific criteria
used to determine final competitor rankings in this industry. These
criteria include, Technology innovation contrasted against
competitors, New product/process introduction, Adoption of the
technology/process by the leading market participants, Advancement of
the industry through research, Ability to conceptualize industry
activities while successfully addressing customer needs
About Frost and Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Consulting Company, partners with
clients to accelerate their growth. The company’s Growth Partnership
Services, Growth Consulting and Career Best Practices empower clients
to create a growth focused culture that generates, evaluates and
implements effective growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan employs over
45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies,
emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 30
offices on six continents. For more information about Frost &
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader
in software for personal and business computing. The company offers a
wide range of products and services designed to empower people through
great software-any time, any place and on any device. Microsoft
Corporation India Private Ltd is a subsidiary of the Microsoft
Corporation, USA. It has had a presence in India since 1990 and
currently has offices in Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata,
Mumbai, New Delhi, and Pune.
About Novell
Novell, Inc. (Nasdaq: NOVL) delivers Software for the Open
Enterprise(TM). With more than 50,000 customers in 43 countries,
Novell helps customers manage, simplify, secure and integrate their
technology environments by leveraging best-of-breed, open
standards-based software. With more than 20 years of experience, 4,700
employees, 5,000 partners and support centers around the world, Novell
helps customers gain control over their IT operating environments
while reducing costs. More information about Novell can be found at
http://www.novell.com.
Contact:
Frost & Sullivan
Caroline Lewis, +91 22 4001 3438
Corporate Communications, South Asia
Fax: +91 22 2832 4713
caroline.lewis@frost.com
Every now and then we wish to show the impact of money (industry) on the government (administration). Only by understanding the flow of money, can one properly study Novell’s relationship with Microsoft. For those who haven’t followed this Web site until recently, it’s worth reminding that owing to a cash infusion, Microsoft is using Novell to further its own agenda at the moment.
”…Microsoft is using Novell to further its own agenda at the moment.“The wrath of the government and its crucial roles seem to be stagnating. As the references at the bottom ought to show, even at present times, the government is virtually controlled by corporations like Microsoft. It’s very indifferent when it comes to complaints about abuse. This apathy ultimately maintains a status quo where one company has outgrown its supervisor. Here is the latest from Associated Press:
On Dec. 10, after a first round of court filings, the judge asked the states to give “specific factual information and legal argument” to support their claim that allowing most of the consent decree to expire would interfere with ongoing enforcement of the remaining portion.
Such skepticism hardly seems acceptable. Meanwhile, Associated Press also tells us that the lobbying industry has grown to become one whose worth is — wait for it — billions of dollars! Yes. These are the people whose job is to rewrite the law. They are paid by corporations to alter laws in these corporations’ favour. They can essentially achieve this by having lunch with those who are paid tax money and whose position of power was granted by hopeful voters.
A decade-long boom for corporate lobbyists in Washington is showing signs of quieting down, just as tougher congressional rules threaten to muffle the multibillion-dollar industry even more next year.
[...]
Financial services and technology firms, including Apple Inc. and Microsoft Corp., squared off against pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, such as Johnson & Johnson and Amgen Inc., on patent reforms.
Need it even be mentioned that Bill Gates’ wife, who is with the Washington Post, is also part of the Bilderberg conspiracy? Video added below, for context. █
More example of Microsoft’s control in government (sorted chronologically):
The ODF Alliance has just unleashed a document[PDF] which boasts increasing acceptance of OpenDocument format. From the text:
Approved as an international standard (ISO 26300:2006) in May 2006, OpenDocument Format (ODF) has achieved growing acceptance as the document format of choice for governments around the world. Below are examples of policy actions taken by governments to promote the adoption of ODF and ensure the benefits of access, choice, interoperability and cost savings.
The list is impressive, but it also seems quite partial. If only ODF had a public relations department to show its full impact (but it’s vendor-independent)…
The future looks bright for ODF. As for OOXML, not so much.
In the past, Ossendryver has vocally criticized Microsoft and its allies for their efforts to compete with the OpenDocument Format, an ISO-recognized standard office doc format that’s already widely implemented.
As of his readers named “tz” says in the comments to Russell’s post, Microsoft’s latest move is more about politics than true standards compliance
Remember that OOXML is all about money. It has nothing to do with true openness. Any sign of OOXML adoption is either coincidental or paid for by Microsoft (directly or indirectly, e.g. compensation). It is all well documented. █
Send this to a friend 
The list is impressive, but it also seems quite partial. If only ODF had a public relations department to show its full impact (but it’s vendor-independent)…
Content is available under CC-BY-SA