03.22.08
OOXML in Belgium: Possible Stacking by Microsoft Reported
Belgium is frequently mentioned here for its less fortunate status as land of the lobbyists — a status which comes with the high level of authority and influence Brussels has earned. Belgium, however, is also a place where ODF was exceptionally well received. So, it’s not entirely surprising that Microsoft is reportedly doing some stuffing.
Today was the vote in the Technical Committee in Belgium. The room was full of people I had never saw before. But when it comes to vote, the Yes men are there.
Other recent examples include Romania, Pakistan and Egypt. █
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.