Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft Joins OpenDocument Alliance
Jim writes "Microsoft has joined a committee that has a key role in the ratification of OpenDocument as an international standard, leading to accusations that it intends to sabotage the process. Microsoft has denied this accusation, claiming that the only reason why Microsoft employee Jim Thatcher has joined the group was to get involved in the ISO standardisation of its own file format." From the article: "'There sits Microsoft, waiting, like a spider,' wrote Jones, in a posting on her site. 'I am imagining ODF plodding along, with Microsoft asking questions, fine-combing through the comments, did you mean this or that?, getting bogged down in minutia until, lo and behold, either Microsoft's XML makes it as an ISO standard first, or they arrive neck and neck.'" More information here on a subject we touched on in a recent Slashback.
update a few readers have asked for the clarification
that MSFT has not joined ODF, but rather the "INCITS/V1
Technical Committee"
Why did I hear the Imperial March when I read this story? Now MSFT will try to strong-arm the alliance into recognizing that MSWord is the only way.
--sig fault--
I can't imagine why anyone would think that Microsoft would sabotage this project. After all, their past statements clearly show that they fully support it.
This guy's the limit!
I'm sure that will work out fine.
I wonder: Do you work for Microsoft? I only ask because your comment, while 100% technically accurate, was completely useless.
Here? On Slashdot? I'm shocked! Shocked, I tell you!
If you don't know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else.
Dr. Weird: GENTLEMEN! I give you - MORE STANDARDS MICROSOFT IS INVOLVED WITH!
Assistant: Well, gee, I dunno, last time...
Dr. Weird: THIS TIME WILL BE DIFFERENT!
Assistant: Well, OK, we could use Microsoft's support after all, and -
Microsoft starts adding in .Net components and ActiveX controls
Assistant: AEEEIEEE!!
Dr. Weird: It's not different at all, is it, Steve?!
Ballmer: Steve smash! Throws a chair at the assistant
Dr. Weird & Ballmer: Maniacal Laughter
You are in a maze of twisty little relative jumps, all alike.
Can't join CSV eh? $ ruby -e 'p [1,2,3,4].join(",")' :-P
"You can connect OK but can't get any web sites?
Tries pinging
DNS is hosed
"OK now, open network properties. See TCP/IP? Delete it. Go ahead and delete everything in this window. Click OK all the way back out. Now restart when Windows asks you to. If it doesn't, restart anyway."
Minutes pass
"OK now, let's go back to network properties and readd TCP/IP. Windows is asking for the CD? Just put it in the drive---you don't have the CD? I'm sorry, I'm sure that I asked you that before we started. Be sure and call back when you find your CD, OK? Bye now"
No incumbents, not no where, not no how.
Vote them out every term.
A Cancer, eating away at open standards from the inside!!! A Cancer I tell ya!! They're like communists, No, Facists, No! MONKEY DANCERS!!!!!!!
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and foam at the mouth and throw some furniture.
Hmmmmmm..... Deep fried and look like Squirrel.
...that equating Microsoft with the Imperial March is being unduly suspicious and paranoid about empires?
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
1.In Government you can be required to not-participate in some decision-making group which relates to your self-interest.
2.Is this true nowhere else? SHOULD it be true of Standards Committees?
3.If it is not currently true, can a proposal before the Committee make it true?
4.After all, existing rules don't require unanimous approval of a rules change, right?
5.Thus, Microsoft can be outvoted with regard to a rule excluding the biased-to-a-different-Standard.
6.And then Microsoft can be evicted.
7.Standard gets implemented quickly.
8.Profit!
Karma whoring, baby! -- AC
Best Anonymous Coward smackdown I have read in a while...
has had the same thought I just did. Isn't it a little disconcerting that the commitee would allow someone from a corporation to sit on group that votes what becomes a standard???? Can you say biased opinion?
*tinfoilhat*
Board Voter: So, do you really think that screwy MS Office format should be ISO?
MS Employee: Of course! It's the best thing I've ever seen, lets not even bother with the others and get this done. I have to get back to my job.
Board Voter: I'm not sure thats a good idea....
MS Employee: I'm sure after we play a few games of golf with that new membership I just gave ya you'll feel better about the whole thing.
--
It's all a joke... one. big. joke.
but I wouldn't let them bring in or take out any pencils, paper, or recording devices of any kind of the meetings. Just my hunch, I don't trust them.
you better make sure the chairs are bolted to the floor as well. just in case.
These are my friends, See how they glisten. See this one shine, how he smiles in the light.
Ulterior motives, that's what. Discussing the fine points of the standard to make it better is one thing, but deliberately arguing over uninportant stuff with the intent of delaying the standards group is entirely another -- and that's what I (and everybody else on Slashdot, apparently) suspect Microsoft is planning to do.
I appreciate what you are saying but the "and everybody else on Slashdot" just sucks the life out of your argument. It's creepy, it feels like "and everyone else at the church of scientology thinks battlefield earth is going to be a blockbuster movie".