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Linux Foundation Releases Statement Calling for National Bodies to Vote "No" on OOXML
Why should or organization that was formed to promote and protect Linux be, to my knowledge, the first standards organization to call for a "no" vote on a document format standard? There are quite a few reasons, to my mind. And they are all extremely important. First, document formats are relevant to Linux on the Desktop. You can find a page of quotes from the Linux Desktop Architects here, expressing their concerns. Second, Microsoft painted a target on Linux, OpenOffice (and, presumably, other office software suites that implement ODF), email and "other open source software" as a single grouping, when it began speaking of infringement of its 235 un-named patents. To me, this indicates that Microsoft sees Linux on the Desktop as the next big battle after server software, and is aligning Windows and OOXML in opposition to Linux and ODF as part of a single strategy. |
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Comments (5)
Microsoft is trying it's best to convince those people to act like brain-damaged baboons on a bender, but it is still up to the organizations themselves.
Yep. Very much like when certain European government agencies kowtowed to US interests on Piratebay. Yes, the US was acting like a bully, but the European governments were the ones acting like chickens. The same is true here. The organizations don't have to do what Microsoft wants, and if the rules are written in such a way that Microsoft can abuse them, it's probably time to look at rewriting the rules.
Quoting:Microsoft can't make a mockery out of those processesLike they say, it takes two to Tango, right!
It seems to me that MS used coercion in Sweden, Denmark, and other places. No!!!
Quoting:The organizations don't have to do what Microsoft wants, and if the rules are written in such a way that Microsoft can abuse them, it's probably time to look at rewriting the rules.Well, we wouldn't know what response ISO is going to have to all this shenanigans from MS until Monday Sep 3rd. But MS is making a mockery out ISO. ISO is based on an honor system and it is being heavily abused by MS.
If ISO doesn't improve, enhance, or make its process more robust, ISO can kiss its credibility good bye.
At this stage, the only thing ISO can do to retain its credibility and respect is to either postpone the voting and have enough time to research and investigate what has been said and written about MS behavior, or vote "NO" with comments and give OOXML a chance to merge with ODF.
At this time, no matter what the outcome of the vote, MS lost a lot and doesn't make a difference any more. MS lost on the long run and ODF gained tremendous popularity and will be the ISO standard sooner or later.
Them be true, true words, pardner.
The danger of bastardizing something like that is that you destroy the very thing that made you want to bastardize it in the first place. If the standards had no meaning, Microsoft wouldn't care. If Microsoft destroys their meaning, others will cease to care.
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