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		<title>Collection of &quot;Documented Irregularities&quot;</title>
		<link>http://noooxml.wikidot.com/forum/t-18867/collection-of-documented-irregularities</link>
		<description>Posts in the discussion thread &quot;Collection of &quot;Documented Irregularities&quot;&quot; - A first attempt and call for help to compile a comprehensive list documenting irregularities in the ISO process for  OOXML.</description>
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		<lastBuildDate>Mon, 20 Jul 2026 13:51:43 +0000</lastBuildDate>
		
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				<guid>http://noooxml.wikidot.com/forum/t-18867#post-46962</guid>
				<title>collection of &quot;documented irregularities&quot;</title>
				<link>http://noooxml.wikidot.com/forum/t-18867/collection-of-documented-irregularities#post-46962</link>
				<description></description>
				<pubDate>Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:23:44 +0000</pubDate>
				<wikidot:authorName>ggiedke</wikidot:authorName>				<wikidot:authorUserId>32664</wikidot:authorUserId>				<content:encoded>
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						 <p>I thought it might be useful to collect all the irregularities in the OOXML standarization process that we have become aware of. Try to &quot;document&quot; them, giving a link, and if possible a named source.</p> <p>While not all the documented irregularities are ''verboten'', they all make a mockery out of the standardization process, which has historically (for good reason) been based on ''technical considerations of merit'' rather than political power games. A free and flourishing information infrastructure also depends on a technically sound standardization process of high integrity. To prevent a further corruption of the process, we document the unprecedented way in which a single vendor has tried to game the system this time.</p> <p>This could be handy to show that the process has not been fair and to argue that it needs to be changed.</p> <p>For a start, I tried to compile such a list from articles linked here, but certainly many are missing, not all sources are verified, and for some sources lack altogether. Ideally, these would be outside links, not nooxml-posts as several still are. Please extend the list but also point out unsubstantiated or dubious claims, so that they can be removed.<br /> Thanks for your help.<br /> Geza</p> <h1><span>The process in general</span></h1> <ul> <li><em>abusing the ISO fast-track process</em> by ramming through a huge, unfinished standard at record speed: (as illustrated in this <a href="http://www.robweir.com/blog/images/rick.png">graphics by Rob Weir</a></li> <li>'<em>committee stuffing</em>: an unprecedented number of coutries that never before were interested in standard setting have been signing up just before the OOXML vote, and voted, with almost 90% majority pro Microsoft <a href="http://www.robweir.com/blog/">Rob Weir's blog, Sep 4</a></li> <li><em>spreading misinformation</em> (as the one that &quot;yes with comments&quot; would be appropriate for conditional approval)</li> </ul> <h1><span>Irregularities in specific countries</span></h1> <ul> <li><strong>Brazil:</strong> <em>committee stuffing</em> (Microsoft is funding the assistance (including all expenses) of most of their partners in the country) <a href="http://www.noooxml.org/forum/t-15425/brazil-also-in-the-way-to-be-hijacked-by-microsoft">[noooxml.org</a>] (<a href="http://www.openxml.info/index.php?option=com_content&amp;task=category&amp;sectionid=5&amp;id=3&amp;Itemid=9">[openxml.info</a>] (Portugese)</li> <li><strong>Colombia:</strong>* <em>committee stuffing</em> <a href="http://www.noooxml.org/forum/t-15406/the-vendor-also-invades-colombia">[noooxml.org</a>]</li> <li><strong>Denmark:</strong> <em>committee stuffing</em> <a href="http://www.version2.dk/artikel/3337">[version2.dk</a>]</li> <li><strong>Hungary:</strong> <em>rule bending</em> (deadlines and majority rules were bent in favor of Microsoft; after a complaint, the government annnulled the vote) <a href="http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20070902123701843">[groklaw.net</a>]</li> <li><strong>Italy:</strong> <em>committee stuffing</em> (The number of members of the committee in charge of to decide the vote of Italy suddenly grew from 5 to 83 after Microsoft introduced a lot of its local partners paying 2.000 EUR per each one to be in it and get voting rights.) <a href="http://www.piana.eu/cms/index.php?option=com_content&amp;task=view&amp;id=52&amp;Itemid=1&amp;lang=en">[piana.eu</a>]</li> <li><strong>Malaysia:</strong> (the two responsible technical committees reached the conclusion &quot;no with comments&quot;; this was then overridden by government, bowing to pressure from Microsoft) <a href="http://www./forum/t-18588/malaysia-s-industry-standards-committee-voted-disapprove">[noooxml.org</a>]</li> <li><strong>Mexico:</strong> <em>committee stuffing</em></li> <li><strong>Netherlands:</strong> <em>denial-of-service</em> (Microsoft alone vetoed the committee decision (&quot;no with comments&quot;) without providing any technical arguments, thus preventing NL from submitting comments) <a href="http://isoc.nl/michiel/nodecisiononOOXML.htm">[isoc.nl</a>]</li> <li><strong>Norway:</strong> <em>committee stuffing</em> <a href="http://blogs.freecode.no/isene/?p=3">[isene blog</a>]</li> <li><strong>Poland:</strong> after the responsible technical committee reached an unwelcome result (&quot;no with comments&quot;) the subject was taken out of its hands and given to another committee which quickly rubber-stamped Microsoft's proposal, ''discrimination'' (several OOXML critical participants were not admitted to the technical committee) <a href="http://polishlinux.org/poland/poland-vote-for-microsoft-ooxml/">[polishlinux.org</a>]</li> <li><strong>Portugal:</strong> <em>discrimination</em> (the technical committee did not admit several competitors of Microsoft with the argument that there were not enough chairs) <a href="http://www.noooxml.org/forum/t-13968/portuguese-committee-says-no-room-for-ibm-and-sun">[noooxml.org</a>]</li> <li><strong>Spain:</strong> <em>spreading misinformation</em> (Microsoft announced that, among others, the autonomous region of Analusia has urged acceptance of OOXML, while in fact it was strongly opposed) <a href="http://www.neutralidad.es/2007/07/23/denuncia-sobre-manipulacion-en-aenor-por-multinacional-microsoft/">[neutralidad.es</a>] (spanish)</li> <li><strong>Sweden:</strong> <em>vote buying</em> (Microsoft urged its partners to join the technical committee and vote there in favor of OOXML, promising to make up the incurring costs by &quot;market subsidies&quot;, this was admitted (and regretted) by Microsoft <a href="http://www.nyteknik.se/art/52026">[nyteknik.se</a>] (Swedish)) <a href="http://vuorio.blogspot.com/2007/08/highlights-of-sis-meeting-on-27-august.html">[vuorio blog</a>]and <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&amp;articleId=9033701&amp;source=rss_news6">[computerworld.com</a>] (eventually, the vote was <a href="http://sis.se/pdf/OOXML0831_Final.pdf">declared invalid</a> (Swedish))</li> <li><strong>Switzerland:</strong> <em>committee stuffing</em> (number of committee members increased from 20 to 50 just before the OOXML vote) <a href="http://www.woz.ch/artikel/inhalt/2007/nr35/Schweiz/15329.html">[woz.ch</a>] and <a href="http://www.inside-it.ch/frontend/insideit?&amp;site=ii&amp;_d=_article&amp;news.id=11773">[inside-it.ch</a>] (both in German), <em>conflict of interest</em> (improper dismissal of technical comments by chairperson); <a href="http://siug.ch/ms-ooxml/appeal">the result has been appealed</a></li> <li><strong>Ukraine:</strong> <em>discrimination</em> (competitors not allowed in the technical committee) [sources?]</li> <li><strong>USA:</strong> <em>committee stuffing</em></li> <li><strong>Venezuela:</strong> <em>discrimination</em> (competitors not allowed in the technical committee) [sources?]</li> </ul> 
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