Seems to support my propaganda that was kindly spread by ECT:
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/59174.html
Pieter:
If they don't get ISO certification in 2008, it'll be the beginning of the end of their Office monopoly.
You know I was against anti-ooxml action but you were all right, it is different and it is important. To my great surprise DIS 29500 was as broken as the critics told me. You really don't need a market-oriented political goal as "end of their Office monopoly" as DIS 29500 fails on technical grounds and the reason why it is ISO-discussed at all is their market dominance.
Most governments don't know how powerful their own actions are. The EU alone can oblige them to support native ISO 26300 and this is going to happen. I am sure Microsoft's partners at Dialogika understand the situation. I am not convinced the ISO process will make a difference. My news is that national government representatives get upset about their activities in the standard bodies and reach out to alleged critics. Lower rank government officials start to conspire. And the message from Parliament gets pretty strong. I could translate for you the Bundestag plenary protocols.
They have strong public affairs problems in Europe money can't heal. And as in the swpat debate their lobbying is your premium asset. Someone nominated them for a Kayak award, right?
Three Scenarios:
- approval with improvements
- rejection of fast-track
- French compromise
From these three scenarios the third needs critical investigation. It seems to me that scenario 1 will bear high costs and public affairs risks. Scenario 2 is the clean solution they don't want. As the French proposal was adopted with them as members of the Committee I wonder if that is a trojan horse which aims to wreck ISO 26300 or to divide the critics. 1 and 2 are both win scenarios for you, 3 will depend on the details.
Going slower and making a better standard that showed some attempt at fixing the problems of the past instead casting them into stone, would have succeeded.
Exactly. Or convince people that
Multiple standards for the same purpose are fine.
Competition between *standards* is good
Open XML is a superb standard.
Open XML is multi-platform
I am sure Doug is a great guy but he urgently needs more Electric Monks
The Electric Monk was a labour-saving device, like a dishwasher or a video recorder. Dishwashers washed tedious dishes for you, thus saving you the bother of washing them yourself, video recorders watched tedious television for you, thus saving you the bother of looking at it yourself; Electric Monks believed things for you, thus saving you what was becoming an increasingly onerous task, that of believing all the things the world expected you to believe.
Microsoft's small tech events are great because the professionals are blunt and openly explain you what is broken. But how worse are things when the OOXML 'gold spin doctor' has to speak plain English?