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OOXML Vote and the CPI Corruption Index

Posted by kdawson on from the voting-on-the-merits dept.

Tapani Tarvainen writes "It turns out there's an interesting correlation between Transparency International's 'corruption perceptions index' and voting behavior in ISO's OOXML decision. Countries with a lower score (more corruption) on the 2006 CPI were more likely to vote in favor of OOXML, and those with a higher score were less likely. According to the analysis, 'This statistics supports with a P value of 0.07328 the hypothesis that the corrupted countries were more likely to vote for approval (one-tailed Fisher's Exact test). In other words, simplified a bit: the likelihood that there was no positive correlation between the corruption level and probability of an approval vote, that is, this is just a random effect, is about 7%.' Of course, correlation doesn't prove causality."

3 of 190 comments (clear)

  1. More interesting pattern by jkrise · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Countries like India and China ... home to over 33% of the world's population - have voted "NO". Countires like Cote' de Ivorie and Cyprus have equal voting rights.

    This population index anomaly must be rectified, before the ISO can regain any credibility as an International standards organisation.

    --
    If you keep throwing chairs, one day you'll break windows....
  2. Of course... by Otter · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Of course, correlation doesn't prove causality.

    Given the inappropriate use of the Fisher's test, questionable use of a one-tailed model and p > 0.05, I'd start with worrying about having proven correlation.

    --
    What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
  3. Re:OpenISO.org by jafoc · · Score: 5, Insightful
    OOXML was overthrown at ISO, isn't this what you wanted after all.

    No, MS-OOXML hasn't been "overthrown" at ISO, at least not yet. There's going to be that "ballot resolution meeting" in February 25-29, 2008 in Geneva (I've already booked my hotel room, since hotel bookings can be a bit difficult in Geneva if attempted on short notice) and then there's going to be another vote. In my opinion it'd take a miracle for MS-OOXML not to get passed then regardless of how many of the substantial comments the "ballot resolution meeting" manages to resolve.

    So the system works

    No, it doesn't. It's totally broken. And if in the end the voting result happens to be the correct one (rejection of the "fast track") after all, that won't be the case because of a trustworthy process based on legitimate, valid arguments, but rather it would be the case because of the successful application of comment-bombing and similar tactics by the opposition.

    no need for anti-establishment rebellion for anti-establishment's sake

    I have seriously tried to work within the existing system, with the only resulting success being that I have learned just how badly broken it really is.