| Subject | : | Deadline: "contradictions" in Ecma [MS] Office Open XML (OOXML) |
| Author | : | El Vato |
| Date | : | 25 Jan, 2007 on 02:59 |
| As you may well know, Open Document Format (ODF) was accepted as an ISO stanadard some months ago --after years of slow review by the pertinent standards organization(s). Now, MS is (once again) leveraging its monopoly power to submit its own Office "Open" XML "standard" ,fastracked through ECMA, as an ISO standard --overlapping and doing away with what ODF has already specified. If any one is interested in contacting any of the standards bodies to raise concern over the continued MS attemp to have its own proprietary way, below is a fragment of relevant information to help you do so. The links reveal sample letters that you may use as templates in your own submissions, as well as pertinent standards organizations' contact information: The Feb 5, 2007 deadline for national standards bodies to submit contradictions in Ecma Office Open XML (OOXML), which is being fast-tracked through ISO/IEC JTC 1, is approaching rapidly. The Alliance urges you to weigh in with your national standards bodies. Linked below is all 1. ISO/IEC JTC 1 Contact Information - http://www.grokdoc.net/index.php/EOOXML_Contacts |
| Subject | : | Re:Deadline: "contradictions" in Ecma [MS] Office Open XML (OOXML) |
| Author | : | El Vato |
| Date | : | 09 Feb, 2007 on 16:14 |
| Office suites other than MS' own obviously are to be handicapped at all cost. Targeting specifically Open Office on alternative operating systems (including OS/2) that support natively (as oppossed to a slow plugin) the Open Document Format (ODF), MS has even tried hiring a blogger a la neo-munchkin style to brainwash the Web community: |
| Subject | : | Re:Deadline: "contradictions" in Ecma [MS] Office Open XML (OOXML) |
| Author | : | El Vato |
| Date | : | 15 Feb, 2007 on 02:59 |
| "'This campaign to limit choice and force their single standard on consumers should be resisted.'" No. The above quote is not a bitter comment from Jim Clark, cofounder of Netscape, after the MS monopoly put it out of business by giving away the IExplorer; nor from an open source advocate of freedom of choice and open standards. It is from an MS open letter (or is it the equivalent of a tantrum Evidently, this levels the playing field (at least temporarily) for other marginated business entities like SSI to appreciate, learn, and --most importantly-- contribute back to the open source community instead of dragging its feet(< http://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.os2.apps/browse_thread/thread/8871dcf531dc68e3/53d837204dd5cf11#2c79be5e6970fcb8 >) . |
| Subject | : | "Microsoft Says IBM Limits Document Format Choice " |
| Author | : | BigWarpGuy |
| Date | : | 15 Feb, 2007 on 14:25 |
| "Microsoft has released an open letter accusing IBM of driving the effort to force the OpenDocument Format on users, thereby limiting adoption of its Office Open XML format. " http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2094742,00.asp This article seems related to the subject. If MS is using their format to limit the use of non-Win products, perhaps what IBM is doing is a good thing(?). --- BigWarpGuy - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - OS/2-eCS.org Director of Communications - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - supporting the past OS/2 user and the future eCS user http://www.os2ecs.org |
| Subject | : | Re:"Microsoft Says IBM Limits Document Format Choice " |
| Author | : | El Vato |
| Date | : | 16 Feb, 2007 on 05:29 |
That is a third party quote, Mr. director of communications.
IBM does not control OASIS' ODF nor does it control the Linux operating system. It has given its support to both open standards technologies mentioned (among other strategic open source initiatives). Consequently, Red Hat and Novell's Linux are promoted by IBM in its technical solutions as well as ODF in some of Big Blue's collaboration suites. I bring the issue of Linux because the Fear Uncertainty and Doubt (FUD) behind the SCO lawsuit against IBM has been thought to be financed partially by MS (< http://www.betanews.com/article/Did_Microsoft_Back_SCO_Against_IBM/1160425817 >) in one of its first attacks against the Open Source movement. The ODF alliance is a consortium of organizations throughout the world that subscribe to the notion of interoperability and open standards --did you check out the link in my very first post Needless to say, interoperability means nothing if the dominant proprietary office suite will only provide a plug-in for ODF --leaving untouched its native "open" proprietary document format. The latter would be the case if MS Office OpenXML is accepted as an ISO standard. The latter would continue the status quo and would effectively mean that any organization with enough capital can impose its own "standard" over that of an already defined and accepted ISO one. Another thing, if interoperability were so important to MS BEFORE ODF was submitted for ISO consideration some years back, why did not MS take the first step to share even their version of "open" document formats with others Moreover, the ODF specification is freely available, you do not have to ask anyone for it. That take-as-you-need resource benefits start-ups as well as established business organizations. And that brings back to memory an episode in Netscape's history. Needing the API for WinXX's dialer utility, Netscape contacted MS for the advertised-as-available resource. But MS did not provide the requested resource until after Netscape filed a complaint with the government against MS for unfair business practices (Netscape Time: the making of the billion-dollar start-up that took on Microsoft, First St. Martin's Griffin Edition: June 2000) ...open, open, open |
| Subject | : | Re:Deadline: "contradictions" in Ecma [MS] Office Open XML (OOXML) |
| Author | : | BigWarpGuy |
| Date | : | 16 Feb, 2007 on 15:18 |
| Thank you for the information and reply.
--- BigWarpGuy - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - OS/2-eCS.org Director of Communications - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - supporting the past OS/2 user and the future eCS user http://www.os2ecs.org |
| Subject | : | "...the [fast track] 5-month ballot period cannot begin until contradictions are resolved. |
| Author | : | El Vato |
| Date | : | 09 Mar, 2007 on 21:43 |
| '9 March 2007 [...] Ecma Responds to National Standards Bodies' Reports of OOXML Contradictions With ISO/IEC Standards Of the 20 national standards bodies in ISO/IEC Joint Technical ComputerWorld reported that six countries -- Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Kenya, New Zealand and the United Kingdom -- strongly opposed putting Open XML to a vote. Under JTC-1 "fast-track" procedures, the 5-month ballot period cannot begin until contradictions are resolved. The JTC-1 Secretariat will "consult with ITTF (Information Technology Task Force) staff regarding the next steps to be taken with the Fast Track submission. Based on this consultation, the Secretariat will communicate the next steps toJTC-1 National Bodies in the very near future." [...] California may adopt OpenDocument [...] ' The open society, the unresricted access to knowledge, the |