09.15.07
Google Welcomes Recent Rejection of OOXML, Google’s Jeremy Allison Uses Samba Analogies
Many companies have already welcomed the ISO’s decision. Despite the fact that it has been over a week since the decision (which is not final), Google responded only days ago.
Google welcomes the ISO decision to not approve the fast track of Office Open XML (OOXML) proposed standard DIS 29500 (ECMA 376).
This blog item provides a detailed list of reasons, none of which is out of the ordinary. Jeremy Allison, who is now working on Samba at Google, tells the history of Samba and uses it to warn readers about Microsoft’s intent. He opines that openness and collaboration will prevail only as long as it brings benefit to Microsoft. He also comments on the fraudulent nature of the ISO voting proess.
My own favorites were Cuba voting “yes” to the fast-tracking of OOXML, even though Microsoft is prohibited by the US Government from selling any software on the island that might even be able to read and write the new format, and Azerbaijan’s “yes” vote, even though OOXML as defined isn’t able to express a Web URL address in Azeri, their official language.
Another short paper has also just been published the tell the story about a voting process that is insane.
There is a strange and twisted place where standards are not held to high standards, where we are told that ”yes” means ”no” and ”no” means ”yes”, where ”competition among standards” is argued to be a good thing, and where standardization is achieved by bribery and foul play instead of honest work. Scaringly enough, that place is Earth. Join us on a journey down the rabbit hole, to a place where logic is a matter of dispute, decency has been thrown out the window and common sense is considered evil. The end of the story is not yet written, but its beginning is entertaining enough.
There are some nice side-by-side comparisons there, so it’s worth a glance. Remember: the ISO still cannot be trusted.
Highlight: Novell was the first to acknowledge that Microsoft FUD tactics had substance. Novell then used anti-Linux FUD to market itself. 
Highlight: Xandros let Microsoft make patent claims and brag about (paid-for) OOXML support. 
Highlight: Linspire's CEO not only fell into Microsoft arms, but he also assisted the company's attack on GNU/Linux. 
Highlight: Microsoft craves pseudo (proprietary) standards and gets its way using proxies and influence which it buys. 
Highlight: The invasion into the open source world is intended to leave Linux companies neglected, due to financial incentives from Microsoft. 
Analysis: Xen, an open source hypervisor, possibly fell victim to Microsoft's aggressive (and stealthy) acquisition-by-proxy strategy.