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OOXML Rumored to be Approved, Announcement Wednesday
dominux writes "Rumors are already circulating that Microsoft's OOXML has been voted in by the standards board. The Open Sourcerer claims to have results of the ballot on dis29500. According to the site Microsoft managed to flip enough countries to make it stick. 75% of the P members who didn't abstain voted for Microsoft (That is 58% of all the P members). 14% of all the P and O members voted to disapprove it, this includes all the new O members that joined just in time to cast their vote. Norway has asked that their vote be suspended due to voting irregularities, but it would take more than that to make a difference to the result. ZDNet is still playing it cautious, noting that an announcement either way is set to be made on Wednesday."
It's fascinating to see that a supposedly intelligent group of people thinks that anything is different about the standardization of OOXML compared to other ISO standards, especially when you consider that Microsoft never leaves the beaten path. ISO will remain important, OOXML will be a call for bids compatible standard and nerds will have temper tantrums in online forums. Nothing changes.
The business world doesn't do revolutions because they're too unpredictable. If you think that a global monopoly can be eradicated by declaring it non-standard, you probably also believe in the easter bunny.