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OOXML Rumored to be Approved, Announcement Wednesday

Posted by Zonk on from the long-hard-slog dept.

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."

3 of 223 comments (clear)

  1. Re:ISO dead, blog at 11 by Tom · · Score: 5, Informative

    So, ISO got an extremely high profile black eye in the credibility department from which it may never recover. Not just ISO. All the national standard bodies that votes "yes", too.

    In Germany, for example, DIN used to be very highly respected. In fact, this whole mess is the first time ever that I heard people say that DIN should fuck itself, be dissolved, is corrupt, etc.
    --
    Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
  2. OpenDoc Announces Official Results by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Dear all,

    as you all may be aware we are involved with the ISO/JTC1 SC34 work.
    Please find the official results for the ISO vote for OOXML (DIS 29500).
    Probably the impact on the adoption of ODF of the OOXML process will be
    minimal, but surely there will be some interest from the public around this.

    OOXML which was submitted by Microsoft to ECMA, and by ECMA to ISO, has
    literally crawled through the needles eye. After a year of discussion
    and repairs it still receives the very minimum of support. The BRM
    convinced some yet unconvinced others, and counter votes from large
    countries like China, India, Brazil, Canada, South Africa and Iran speak
    volumes. This must be one of the worst results ever for a standard to
    pass within ISO/JTC1 in years.

    Appartently the chair from the Norwegian committe has filed a protest
    against the national outcome. Although one vote would not make much
    difference, others may follow.

    Kind regards,
    Michiel Leenaars
    NLnet foundation
    OpenDoc Society board

    http://lists.opendocsociety.org/pipermail/members.announce/2008-April/000002.html

  3. Re:Basically... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Standards Norge have responded - Oliver Bell has an english translation of their PR - http://osrin.net/2008/04/01/norway-and-germany-there-are-no-irregularities/