Microsoft proposes to split OOXML in 9 parts?

Summary:

Rumors are running here in Geneva that Microsoft and its ECMA proxy are proposing to split the 6000 pages into 9 parts.

Microsoft proposes to split OOXML in 9 parts?

zoobab 25 Feb 2008 13:46

Rumors are running here in Geneva that Microsoft and its ECMA proxy are proposing to split the 6000 pages into 9 parts. Maybe it is a strategy to get some parts through, and reintroduce some of the rejected parts in the maintenance, maybe for OOXML 1.1.

The strategy sounds like "split the shit in parts, in order to get some bits through".

Does anyone has more infos on this rumor?

Last edited on 25 Feb 2008 15:40 by podmokle Show more

Re: Microsoft proposes to split OOXML in 9 parts?

stegu 25 Feb 2008 18:44

Being an outside observer I have no information regarding the truthfulness of the rumor, but if it is true, it is a sad attempt to save face. A standard is not worth anything if it is incomplete, and having some parts being pushed through while other parts are left behind is only going to make things worse for developers and customers. Then there would still be no functioning ISO/IEC version of OOXML, just the ECMA version which is broken, modified and corrected versions of some parts endorsed by ISO/IEC and then whatever XML format Office 2007 and 2008 happen to implement, which would be yet another, different and probably badly documented version.

Only the actual Office implementation would be useful, and that would still not be covered by a working, full standard. A big mess indeed.

Re: Microsoft proposes to split OOXML in 9 parts?

zoobab 26 Feb 2008 09:15

It seems that the US delegation is proposing this pseudo-solution.

This whole BRM looks more and more "Mission impossible".

Re: Microsoft proposes to split OOXML in 9 parts?

tracking_truth 26 Feb 2008 10:57

Rick Jelliffe is the one who in his blog talk about that he proposed to split dis29500 into 9 parts.

If this was an informal suggestion, a proposal that Microsoft accepted and is preparing behind the scenes if the BRM fail to solve enough problems with dis29500 or a proposal the Microsoft rejected because splitting dis29500 not really solve anything is not possible for us to know.

Looking at the track record of Rick Jelliffe it seems like most of his posts seem very "political". I have yet never seen him make a post that does not include spin to aid the OOXML standardization. Maybe the reason for the "9 parts suggestion" is quite simple…to divert the attention of the bloggers that follow Microsoft attempt to trick the world to accept OOXML.

My thought would be that until a authoriative source that is independent of Microsoft talk about the 9 parts proposal we are better of to focus on more important things.