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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."

4 of 223 comments (clear)

  1. Basically... by behe101 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    if this is approved we can safely assume ISO is corrupt.

  2. Waiting until the 2nd by mlwmohawk · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Well a few points:

    If this is an April fools joke it isn't funny.

    If this is real and the (gasp) "standard" was approved, we should all start calling it the "Fools Standard" in everything we write, thus putting the proper "spin" on it.

  3. Penalty for cheating == break even? by walterbyrd · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So when msft is caught red-handed, like in Norway, or Sweden, then that one particular vote is not counted. But it is assumed that everything else is just fine, in spite of dozen of irregularities?

    That doesn't really seem fair to me. It seems like, if you cheat, then you either win, or at least break even. It's like saying that the penalty for shop-lifting is that you have to put the stuff you stold back.

    In fact, it seems like, in the case of Norway, msft did better than break even. Instead of a "yes" msft rigged a "nothing" which is better for msft than a "no."

    Considering the massive number of irregularities in the OOXML approval process, I think OOXML approval should be put on hold, until an investigation can be completed.

  4. Re:ISO dead, blog at 11 by johnw · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Seriously.. what's the problem with it being approved? You mean you haven't been following the story? You should read up on it a bit.

    Technical issues? Yes, dozens of them.

    Lack of clarity? Yes, in spades.

    There are hundreds of other standards that fall into those categories as well, yet they are still standards. Go on - name one that even comes close to Microsoft's pseudo-standard. The OOXML "standard" is so unlike a real ISO standard it's not true.

    But no one cried corruption until now.. This looks dangerously like a feeble attempt at astro-turfing.