05.29.08
Last-Minute Call: OOXML Complaints and Formal Appeal
Golden opportunity to free our documents
The deadline is here and Associated Press has just issued this article:
South Africa is appealing a decision to make Microsoft Corp.’s Office Open XML format an internationally recognized standard for electronic documents, officials said Wednesday.
The South African Bureau of Standards sent a letter of protest to two Geneva-based organizations that held a worldwide ballot on Microsoft’s application last month, complaining that the process was poorly conducted and rushed.
Today is the last day for another appeal to be filed.
Please consider contacting your national standards body. You can ask them to join South Africa’s appeal, which should not be hard now that an initial complaint has been smacked on ISO’s desk. Another appeal would have a significant impact on ISO’s final call and also cast shadow on the validity of the process, which has already suiffered delays due to South Africa’s complaint.
We have put up information about Microsoft’s OOXML abuses. Along with the names of countries we have put up the phone number of your national standards body in order to make the job easier. Some people have already phoned and reported back. █
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.
the11thplague said,
May 29, 2008 at 9:05 am
Ok, I’m Italian: what the hell should I ask as they answer to the phone ?
I have no idea of what to do: please add some suggestions, make some example of basic conversation…
Roy Schestowitz said,
May 29, 2008 at 9:14 am
There is no formal document explaining this, but I suggest taking a look at the complaint from South Africa. It describes very well some of the reasons to call the whole thing off. You needn’t necessarily report incidents like “votes for sale” in Italy (see the references under [I]Taly) because it’s things like the BRM which are known to have been corrupt and unacceptable. These are also more global.
Since this a legal process too, another option would be to post a quick question in Groklaw and see what the lawyers say.
If you phone in, try to speak to someone who attended the BRM. They all ought to know it was a sham, but aren’t exactly allowed to speak about it. The key is finding a sympathetic person to speak to on the phone. Let me know if I can do more to help.
AlexH said,
May 29, 2008 at 10:11 am
It’s not a legal process…
the11thplague said,
May 29, 2008 at 10:48 am
Damn, offices are already closed in Italy: it’s late afternoon here
AlexH said,
May 29, 2008 at 11:58 am
@the11thplague: don’t be surprised if they extend the deadline.
I don’t think they will throw out OOXML at this stage, but I also don’t think it’s going to get published next week.
Roy Schestowitz said,
May 29, 2008 at 12:20 pm
No, it’s not. Give it at least another month (for critics to throw in wrenches).