Showing headlines posted by Andy_Updegrove

Today, the Linux Foundation is releasing a report that shows just how valuable FOSS can be. The authors find that recreating Fedora 9.1 (the free distribution upon which Red Hat's current Linux release is based) using traditional proprietary methods would cost $10.8 billion. They also find that the cost of creating the Linux kernel alone would be $1.4 billion.

Know someone in your community—an individual, government official, NGO or other entity—who has significantly advanced the cause of document freedom, yet whose actions have not received the public recognition they deserve?

Yesterday, IBM announced a new "I.T.Standards Policy," calling for (among other things) more transparency, openness and inclusiveness in the standards development process, and for the use by standards organizations of fewer, clearer and more open-source friendly intellectual property rights policies. IBM also disclosed the wide-ranging, and in some cases radical, recommendations offered by 70 standards experts from around the world. These recommendations are intended to raise the bar in standards development. But will anyone fall in line behind it?

IBM today announced its adoption of a new corporate policy that will govern its global participation in the standards development process. It also revealed a list of standards reform recommendations generated through a discussion among 70 standards experts from around the world.

In the latest twist in the OOXML - ODF document format story, ISO and IEC, two of the most venerable standards organizations In the world, have been dealt a slap by government IT agencies in six countries.

As I reported yesterday, the OOXML appeals brought by Brazil, India, South Africa and Venezuela have been rejected by the Technical Management Board (TMB) and Standardization Management Board (SMB) of ISO and IEC, respectively. I have now received the actual voting results.

ISO and IEC have announced the rejection of the four appeals submitted by the National Bodies of Brazil, India, South Africa and Venezuela, as earlier recommended by the Secretaries General of each of the two standards organizations. to their respective management boards not to give the appeals further consideration.

Today those who believe in free content and free and open source software won a major victory in court. The underlying facts, and counsel, were hardly major figures on the commercial landscape: the open source software at issue had been developed for model train buffs under an infrequently used free and open source license, and the attorney was young and inexperienced.

The latest edition of Linux World ground to a halt in San Francisco today. I made it into town just last night for a VIP party hosted by the Linux Foundation where I caught up with lots of the true believer friends (developers, journalists and corporate supporters), and for the Board meeting today. The LF board meeting today was productive, though (a highlight was a walk around the Linux Developers Network Site we brought live today, as well as the new Linux Application Checker that Steven J. Vaughn-Nichols immediately pronounced to be a "killer development tool."

Ever since a gaunt Steve Jobs addressed the adoring crowds at this year's Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, the press, Apple fans - and most especially, Apple investors - have been concerned over the state of his health. Today comes the good news that Steve is just fine, thank you. The bad news is how the news was reported.

In December of last year, Google posted a brief announcement of a new experiment in online publishing. At first blush it seemed to represent a challenge to the Wikipedia - but with a few significant differences. Whether it succeeds or fails is more important than you might think.

Long time followers of the ODF-OOXML story will recall that there is a third editable, XML-based document format in the race to create the documentary record of history. That contender is called UOF - for Uniform Office Format, and it has been under development in China since 2002. Now it's on store shelves in Beijing as well.

Although I'm a little late doing so, I'd like to add my voice to Amanda McPherson's in welcoming Brian Proffitt to the Linux Foundation. Brian will be taking charge of a key project, and we're expecting great results with his help.

Yesterday the CEOs of ISO and IEC delivered their required report on the four appeals filed relating to adoption of Microsoft's OOXML specification. That documents summarizes the appeals, provides a response to each claimed basis for appeal, and asks the Technical Management Board (TMB) to vote whether to reject or further process each separate appeal. The CEOs also make a recommendation, which reads as follows:

Microsoft achieved its dominance on the desktop in part by adding more and more features into Windows and Office - for free - that others wereselling as standalone products. The result was to not only wipe out their competitors, but innovation as well. Now Google is offering more and more services for free to help sell ads. Withe the shoe on the other foot, will it fall now to Microsoft to ensure that competition and innovation continues in these areas?

Last week I sent out the latest issue of Standards Today, my bi-monthly eJournal of "News, Ideas and Analysis." This time around, my topic is what I call "The Open Collaboration Revolution," by which I mean the unprecedented ways in which the Internet and the Web are allowing communities to form around projects of all types. The benefits that can be enjoyed as a result of such collaboration are leading those involved to reevaluate the traditional rights of creators and content owners.

As the clock ticks down, the appeals are piling up objecting to OOXML's approval by ISO/IEC. The latest appeal was sent today by Associação Brasileira de Normas Técnicas (ABNT), the National Body representing Brazil, and a trusted source has sent me a copy (other knowledgeable sources tell me that as many as two additional appeals are likely to be filed before the clock runs out). Brazil's appeal objects to some of the same issues raised by South Africa, but also includes a laundry list of actions and inactions at the BRM that have also been well-aired in blog posts by BRM participants, including refusals to hear a proposal urged by Brazil, poor decisions based not on good results but on expediency, and much more.

South Africa has filed a formal appeal with both ISO and IEC, challenging the Fast Track adoption of OOXML. I have received a signed copy of the letter sent to each of ISO and IEC, signed by Mr. M Kuscus, Chief Executive Officer of SABS.

With the OOXML debacle behind us, one might ask, "Now what?" Clearly, something (or somethings) need to be done in order to be sure that the process that gave us OOXML does not repeat itself. One answer is "Digistan." Here's what it's all about.

As you may recall, six US states considered open format bills last year. One of them was Texas, where the result was to charge a committee to do further research and make recommendations about what the Longhorn State should do with its documents. A few days ago, I gave testimony at a hearing before that committee along with ODF Alliance members, Microsoft, and others. Here's what the hearing was like.