10.29.07
Foes of OpenDocument Format Listed; The Symphony Plays in a New Video
Andy Updegrove has named and shamed countries which are suspected of letting Microsoft buy their vote. See the related articles at the bottom for further details.
Here’s how the eleven countries that upgraded from O to P membership in the months (and often just days) before the OOXML voting period closed on OOXML, and also whether or not they voted in the more recent ballot (all data is from Rick’s analysis of the voting record):
– Upgrades that voted to adopt OOXML and didn’t vote later: 7 - (Côte d’Ivoire, Cyprus, Lebanon, Malta, Pakistan, Turkey, Venezuela)
– Upgrades that abstained on OOXML and didn’t vote later: 1 - (Trinidad and Tobago)
– Upgrades that voted against OOXML and didn’t vote later: 0
The following bit seems like a promotional video that features IBM’s Symphony. Promotional (and maybe viral marketing) it may be, but at times it also stresses the value and importance of OpenDocument format.
Related articles:
- Evidence of Microsoft Influencing OOXML Votes in Nordic States
- Microsoft Memo to Partners in Sweden Surfaces: Vote Yes for OOXML
- The OOXML Problem
- Corrupt countries were more likely to support the OOXML document format
- Microsoft Tech Ed 2007: OpenXML
- Microsoft’s secretive standards orgs in Former Yugoslavia
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.