ISO Calls For OOXML Ceasefire

In response to the continued attacks on Microsoft's OOXML standard, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has called for a ceasefire. "Last week the ISO committee in charge of document standards, SC 34, met in Oslo to discuss the way forward for OOXML and ODF. The plenary session was marked by protests outside, largely carried out by delegates from a nearby open-source conference. The protesters were calling for OOXML to be withdrawn from ISO standardization -- something that could theoretically happen if a national standards body were to protest against its own vote within the next month or two."

Comments

Way forward on ODF?

[Chris Burke]

Why is that even an issue? ODF passed, it's a clear and well-defined standard that nobody has a problem with and nobody had to be bribed to support.

The only issue is that cluster-fuck of submarine proprietary technology posing as an open standard called OOXML.

Keep OOXML, or reject that POS like they should have to begin with, the only effect that has on ODF is in the purchasing decisions that may be swayed by MS also having a "standard".

Re:what is a one-sided cease fire?

[LBArrettAnderson]

Blame the /. editor. In the linked article the word "cease" is used once, and it isn't followed by "fire."

SC29 has been a villain for quite some time.

[Compenguin]

I know the Slashdot crowd didn't start caring about ISO until OOXML hit SC34 but I have other issues with ISO. SC29/WG11 (More commonly known as MPEG) is notoriously closed off. All their proposed work for consideration is closed off from public scrutiny until after it has been accepted and published. Reference software updates are only made available to committee members while the rest of us have to wait for a version to be signed off as a Corrigendum/Addendum and then sit for a year as all the i's are dotted and t's are crossed in the general body (why can't non controversial reference software bugfixes get fast-tracked the same way OOXML was?). When people come to MPEG industry forum technical list (Mp4-tech) for clarification they are often referred secret documents and reference software that they have no way of getting. Furthermore their document interchange format is .doc not ODF or OOXML.

Formulas in spreadsheets

[tepples]

ODF passed, it's a clear and well-defined standard ODF passed without a spec for basic spreadsheet formulas. OOXML has one, albeit flawed in some respects.

Re:Formulas in spreadsheets

[Richard Steiner]

ODF certainly has its flaws, but:

(1) ODF wasn't rammed through a "fast track" process against the wishes of many committee members, unlike OOXML, and

(2) ODF can actually be implemented by third parties as written. Good luck doing that with OOXML...

Re:Slashdot calls for ISO cessation of stupidity

[Mithrandir]

Also, Standards are supposed to be open. On this point you are wrong. ISO is a standardisation body. It has no requirements for "openness". For example, MPEG is a standard and yet is extremely heavily encumbered with patents. Other standards are patent free, but you will find that the a large percentage of the ISO standards have patents on them (I believe it is a majority, but don't have numbers to back that up). All that ISO requires is that the terms of the usage of the standard is defined beforehand so that potential users of the standard know what they're in for.

Re:Slashdot calls for ISO cessation of stupidity

[Anonymous Coward]

Er, people are up in arms about it being accepted by ISO under the fast-track procedures. ISO's rules on fast tracking a standard specifically disallow doing so when an already-approved standard exists for substantially the same thing. So, no, this is not acceptable. And there are many other reasons. Just wanted to point out the biggest flaw in your analysis (something you have left out that can only be regarded as intentional).