What's wrong with OOXML

[unixronin]

And more, what's wrong with the OOXML approval process.  Which can largely be summarized as, "Microsoft couldn't convince ISO to make OOXML a standard, so Microsoft subverted er, sorry, embraced and extended ISO."  The subversion included filling up ISO with single-issue sockpuppet members paid off to vote for OOXML, who don't care about voting anything else because they're not being paid to vote and so are allowing standards to fall into the unapproved bucket by default.  It included fixing the vote mechanisms in one German hearing such as to make it imposible to actually vote "No".  And it included a vote in Norway that "approved" OOXML despite a vote of 21-2 against.

It seems to me ISO's very next move should be to kick out all the sockpuppets, followed by declaring the OOXML approval invalid.  Then after that, ISO should penalize Microsoft by ruling that OOXML may never become a standard.  It's the only way ISO can retain its credibility.

Glyn Moody ends his article with the following:

It is striking that some parts of Microsoft have been making soothing noises to the open source world, speaking of their desire to work alongside free software projects and to ensure "interoperability" - a favourite concept at the moment - between the open and closed worlds.  Those voices have become increasingly seductive to some, especially in the open source business world, who would rather work with than against the Seattle behemoth, and who seem to believe that Microsoft is genuine in its offers.  But if the whole sorry OOXML saga shows anything, it is Microsoft's deep and utter contempt for the whole idea of an open, collaborative process based on mutual respect and consensus.  Henceforth, members of the open source community must view with deep cynicism all - not just some - offers by Microsoft to work more closely with the free software world.  If they don't, they could find themselves used and abused just like the once famous, and now former, International Standards Organisation.

Comments

[smandal.livejournal.com]

A glimmer of hope (http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23473550-15321,00.html):

While ISO says the OOXML specification received enough votes for acceptance, there will be a two-month period to allow national bodies to lodge any formal appeals before the standard proceeds to official publication.

Already two national protests have been raised, in relation to the votes cast by Norway and Germany.

[ithildae.livejournal.com]

I don't think that changing even both votes will effect approval.

I did like the Norway process:

While (no consensus)
remove (member);

[smandal.livejournal.com]

ISO has taken it on the chin. If they void the decision at this stage, they look incompetent; if they don't, they look illegitimate. One can only hope that Microsoft did something illegal, in which case ISO can claim to be a victim.

Probably, the best outcome now vis-a-vis ODF is for ISO to be discredited.

[ithildae.livejournal.com]

ISO still has a chance to retain its credibility. If a NB appeals the result in the next two months, ISO will have the authority to review the decision.

[ithildae.livejournal.com]

The sad part is that there is little, if anything, ISO can do about it. ISO cannot get involved, or dictate, how the various countries vote. ISO needs to be above, and uninvolved, in politics, or it can get nothing done working with countries with varied political systems that are at odds with each other in varying ways. All ISO can do is count votes. The entire structure is setup for collaboration and consensus. All this shows is that a single bad player can destroy working together with a thought of compromise and hope. (We already know this from the composition of Congress.)

While there are some WTO implications and EU specific issues, there may not be any laws that were actually broken in M$'s blatant manipulation of the system.

In the mean time, critical but boring standards work grinds to a halt because new members joined for a single purpose and are not interested in anything else. My suggestion to ISO would be to revoke P status of countries that only voted on OOXML and disallow their votes on that single issue. That may actually change the vote.

It is a sad day for innovation.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

My suggestion to ISO would be to revoke P status of countries that only voted on OOXML and disallow their votes on that single issue.

Yeah, that was my suggestion too.

[genuine-snark.livejournal.com]

I generally agree with you, but I'm not sure how this could be done in an equitable way.

I think the current ISO bylaws do boot members after missing yay-many votes. The problem is that it takes awhile for the regulations to "react" to sockpuppets.

Short of calling this particular vote a travesty (which it is, but then that gets the ISO into approving/disapproving vote results in general), I can't think of a generic way to ban sockpuppets.

You could require them to vote N times in an advisory way (i.e. non-counting) before allowing their votes to be counted, I guess.

[ithildae.livejournal.com]

The root of the problem will still remain, ISO needs people to be willing to set aside personal bias in order to work for a bigger team. That environment is crucial when we bring together disparate cultures and interests. A single bad actor can destroy the atmosphere of cooperation needed to build consensus. The rules are designed to minimize individual personalities, they are still unable to cope with entrenched corporate interests.

It also shows that M$ is running scared. (That is a corporate cultural artifact at M$.) They keep missing significant technology and policy shifts. Their technology is built on a foundation of sand. They can't produce products at the speed of business (or even government.) They are always behind the curve, and they are facing stiff and creative competition from companies that are defining corporate needs, (or open source, which is like fighting mist.) M$ must do everything in their power to slow innovation to a pace they can react to, or they will die, and they know it.

[theonetruejim.livejournal.com]

ISO is the new ECMA