02.18.08
OpenDocument Event to Take Place in the Back Yard of the Shenanigans
“We want to own these standards, so we should not participate in standards groups. Rather, we should call ‘to me’ to the industry and set a standard that works now and is for everyone’s benefit. We are large enough that this can work.”
–Microsoft Corporation, internal memo (source [compressed PDF])
Throughout the week of the BRM in Geneva we will be covering Microsoft’s many past corruptions. We will take a look back at some of the most disgusting abuses which may be a question of Microsoft’s survival; abuses so extreme that even the European Commission bothered to launch a third antitrust investigation to study them.
Other advocates of truly open standards will not sit idle, either. They will also be in Geneva and while the secretive proceedings of Microsoft and its protégé ECMA will arrogantly have them snubbed, they will openly welcome participation in the OpenForum Europe Conference.
The Conference is organised by OpenForum Europe with the support of the following organisations: Ars Aperta, Certified Open, Danish Open Source Business Association, Dutch OpenDocument Society, Free Software Foundation Europe, GesmerUpdegrove LLP, Google, IBM, ODF Alliance, OpenIreland, Opera Software, Red Hat, The Open Learning Centre…
On the other side of the street, deep inside a cellar — so to speak — ECMA and Microsoft will do their selfish deeds [1, 2, 3, 4, 5], fooling the whole world for an extra sheckel and a new set of shackles.
Highlights include:
- Portugal will send Microsoft to the BRM
- Microsoft’s Stephen McGibbon to represent Ireland at the BRM?
- Australia Potentially Corrupted by Microsoft (for OOXML “Yes” Vote)
- The BSI Has Been Corrupted by Microsoft -- Another Chink in ISO's armor
- Tracking the Man with the Gavel: Alex Brown on the BRM
- OOXML Questions Microsoft Cannot Answer in Geneva
- What Will and Won’t Be Discussed at February’s BRM on MSOOXML
So, which bar in Geneva serves Kool-Aid? █
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.
justpassingby said,
February 18, 2008 at 4:03 am
“…will do their dirty deeds…”
Come on, how do you expect to be taken seriously if you talk like that? Such wording just makes you sound like total weirdos. You’d do your cause a favor if you tried to sound more like a journalist and less like an evangelist.
Roy Schestowitz said,
February 18, 2008 at 4:16 am
Sometimes, things are so severely broken that explaining them gently gets hard.
Based on your previous and only comment (“Your poor, sorry sods. You really do have too much time on your hands, don’t you? Get you fingers out of your asses and do some coding!”), you are not here to support this Web site.
justpassingby said,
February 18, 2008 at 5:28 am
You can bet on that. I don’t encourage trolling; even if it’s for a good cause. And I am not so sure your cause is good. Well, as the good book says “ye shall know them by their fruits” and to me your fruits taste sour.