05.29.08
More Microsoft Shenanigans: Microsoft Rep Shoots Down Brazil’s Appeal Against OOXML
Rememeber how Brazil spilled the beans on the BRM in Geneva? Well, it was prepared to appeal ISO’s decision today (the last day), but watch what happened.
At the end of this presentation, the representative of a company (guess which ???) has taken the line of defense for his companions in the room: “I am not prepared, at this meeting, to evaluate the arguments and decide. I need more time. “It is worth highlighting that this meeting was scheduled on May 8th (date of our last meeting) and officially convened on May 19th (lack of time !!! again !!!).
From this point on, I understand that the meeting has become almost a hospice, because it is insane to accept that at this point of our lifes, after all the things that we saw, the main argument of opposition is the “lack of condition to discuss”.I say that became a hospice, because the OpenXML supporters was tied to a fragile and indecent argument that “we’re not prepared to discuss,” saying that in this way, Brazil could not make the protest against the whole process by “lack of consensus” (as if consensus and unanimity was the same thing). Just to clarify, at the ISO directives “Consensus is the absence of reasoned opposition.”
The final decision is that we will only “protest” against the BRM and against the lack of final version of the specification text, pretending that we didn’t identified any problems during the Fast-Track, as if we were a bunch of blind and incompetent idiots. The ABNT undertook to send our “protest” to ISO on this Thursday.
This is absolutely disappointing. Once again Microsoft is permitted to get away with its “brutal and corrupt” behaviour, to borrow Tim Bray's words. Remember the AFNOR incident, which had a European government delegate compare Microsoft to a "Scientology cult"? This clannish behaviour has gone too far. This entire process continues to be a sad shame. █
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.
Uncle_Sam said,
May 29, 2008 at 9:02 am
One day MS will have to pay for their crimes.
Uncle_Sam said,
May 29, 2008 at 9:04 am
http://gizmodo.com/393872/olpc-to-become-colombias-finest-import
OLPC Columbia
Roy Schestowitz said,
May 29, 2008 at 9:07 am
Get them hooked on binaries while they’re young. They’ll pay when they grow older.
Richard Chapman said,
May 29, 2008 at 10:14 am
This is getting ugly, very ugly. When companies die, there is nothing left but a memory. Someday, maybe sooner than we think, the Redmond Campus will be transformed into an assisted living complex. Who is left to answer for the incredible amount of damage done to the World in the name of “innovation”?
I have done battle with far too many marketers, salesmen, developers and partners from Microsoft posing as “just normal users” on message boards to just say “aw shucks, wasn’t that fun?”. Is it right for someone who has spent the last ten years of their life trying like hell to kill Open Source to just hand in a resume and start a new life in it?
I regret that I will never be in a position to tell them they lack the moral character to work in my organization.
Uncle_Sam said,
May 29, 2008 at 10:28 am
Richard Chapman
MS cannot work in open source. They can only overlord their binary pukeware.
Uncle_Sam said,
May 29, 2008 at 10:36 am
BTW check the new Windows 7 Screenshots. How closely tied it is to IE, Live.com, MSN Messenger, Microsoft version of web 0.2, etc.
Basically they are going after google
Roy Schestowitz said,
May 29, 2008 at 11:02 am
The new trend is actually Microsoft _taking over_ open source from the inside to warp and transform it to Microsoft’s benefit. I’ll post another new example shortly.
the11thplague said,
May 29, 2008 at 11:11 am
They can’t file a complaint: “Because OpenXML supporters in Brazil were not prepared for this discussion.”
Is the standardization process so exploitable ?
Roy Schestowitz said,
May 29, 2008 at 11:29 am
Believe me, it’s so corrupt that I can’t (physically) keep up with the reports of abuse. It’s probably the worst fiasco for Microsoft throughout this decade, but the media does not cover it properly. Some governments are too corrupt to respond to known issues. Some country leaders (Mexican and French presidents for example) are used as pawn by Microsoft, just to give you an idea of how far (and high up) it goes.
twitter said,
May 29, 2008 at 3:33 pm
They do act like a dangerous cult, don’t they? They lie to the public and their employees. They smear those who oppose them on technical grounds, like they did Peter Quinn, Peter Gutmann and yourself.