Jan Wildeboer of RedHat has his say:
ODF v OOXML. The BRM in Geneve has shown the problem of fast-tracking 6000 pages of specs. We need to restart with a clean process to make OOXML a working standard. If that fails, so what. We have ODF. As a normal standardisation process will take quite some time, even Microsoft will have to support ODF in the meantime.
Clearly, it is as simple as that. No rule-bending, committee stuffing and other irregularities are required when you chose the appropriate process that would take some time but ultimately fixes the OOXML specification. We can still discuss whether OOXML should become an international standard at all. This has nothing to do with the fact that the specification was immature and the process not suited to fix it. Therefore ISO members should think carefully about the damages posed to the international standard system if OOXML slipped through.
Jan Wildeboer is on his way to Cebit, the gigantic international ICT trade fair in Hannover, Germany. Sure, Open XML will be a hot topic when the industry meets.
