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ISO Puts OOXML On Hold

Posted by kdawson on from the system-is-working dept.

schliz alerts us that ISO, in response to the four appeals (Venezuela, India, Brazil, South Africa) filed in recent weeks, has put the OOXML standardization process on hold. Here is ISO's press release, which says that ISO/IEC DIS 29500 will not be published for at least "several months" while the appeals process goes forward.
Update: 06/11 10:13 GMT by KD : Reader Alsee points out that the fourth officially recognized appealing country is Venezuela, not Denmark as originally stated. The protests of Denmark and Norway are being disregarded, as they do not come from the administrative heads of their national organizations.

13 of 138 comments (clear)

  1. Wow by sheepweevil · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Maybe the ISO hasn't been bought off totally. They actually made a rational decision about OOXML.

    1. Re:Wow by ianare · · Score: 4, Interesting
      Except no decision has been made yet.

      The two management boards will then decide whether the appeals should be further processed or not. They are simply "considering" the appeals. All MS has to do is stack the two management boards (should be at leats partly there already, considering almost all of ISO has been tampered with), and get them to reject the appeals.

      There is only a faint glimmer of hope, a pinhole of light at the end of the tunnel.
    2. Re:Wow by Ilgaz · · Score: 2, Interesting

      They figured that decision could mark their death and setting up a new organisation (like UN started after WW2) so they decided to cool things down a bit.

      They also figured the Big Blue and Sun are very serious, it is not like couple of disgruntled nerds blogging. IBM is older than most of countries in ISO and Sun have huge expertise on how governments work too.

    3. Re:Wow by flnca · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Exactly. And the OOXML standard has already been ratified by ECMA anyway, almost two years ago. There are so many standards that aren't followed, that one more or less really doesn't matter. ;-)

      When I look at the C++ standard, or the POSIX standard -- they're used as guidance, but they aren't implemented by the word, because it's not always possible. The OOXML standard became obsolete the moment Office 2007 was brought to market.

      Standards are often used as a sales argument, and I guess that's what Microsoft was trying to do. To be able to say: "We support standards!" :-D

  2. Re:hurrah! by Chyeld · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Actually "on hold" is more along the lines of "Microsoft has gotten what it wanted and would really like this format to die on the table so it doesn't have to actually implement any of its promises".

    [corporate spin]Oh sure! MS Office 2010 was going to be fully open spec, but the ISO never got around to finalizing OOXML, and we got tired of waiting. So, Hey! Here's a new proprietary format. After all, it's not our fault, we upheld our part of the bargain and released the specs...[/corporate spin]

  3. Re:hurrah! by Elektroschock · · Score: 4, Interesting

    As Microsoft finally announced to switch to ODF and refuses to implement the unpublished OOXML format before adding full ODF support there is really no reason to go on with ISO OOXML. Governments should simply mandate ODF as the XML based document standard format in their own administration. The Netherlands are a perfect example. More governments will follow. Microsoft can just embrace the domino effect. Ironically it was the ISO OOXML process that made ODF adoption happen.

  4. Norway set aside the comittees no, and said yes by viking80 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The Norwegian Standards committee was also almost unanimously against the OOXML. Then the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation offered a few hundred million $$ to various pet projects of the Norwegian prime minister such as a Svalbard seed bank http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svalbard_Global_Seed_Vault as well as vaccination of kids in poor countries.

    To everyones big suprise, the government set aside the No vote, and ruled by fiat that Norway would vote Yes.

    But then again, why care about a petty little standard and some petty corruption when you can save the world.

    --
    don't cut it off www.mgmbill.org
  5. that's OK by nguy · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Since even Microsoft has switched to ODF, that's pretty much a no-brainer :-)

  6. Is ISO afraid ? by jeanph01 · · Score: 1, Interesting

    This is a great news. I think ISO is a bit overwhelmed at the least by the sheer pressure the world is putting on them about OOXML. Neelie Kroes by the way tell them that she can help if they ask : http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/08/317.

  7. Denmark? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    TFA:
    "Four national standards body members of ISO and IEC - Brazil, India, South Africa and VENEZUELA - have submitted appeals against the recent approval of ISO/IEC DIS 29500 [...] as an ISO/IEC International Standard."

    Summary:
    "[...] ISO, in response to the four appeals (DENMARK, India, Brazil, South Arica) filed in recent weeks [...]"

    Slashdot - as we know and love it. ;)

  8. Re:Even worse... by drinkypoo · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I would have less problem with this if it were legal to photocopy those works. If you want to do business using one of these specifications, in reality you must pay for them. There is no reason that the specifications should cost more than the cost of distribution.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  9. What's a country worth? by tqk · · Score: 2, Interesting

    It only took four countries' standards bodies to get them to ... pause.

    Interesting, if you're a country. "Unless you can find lobbying pals, we're not listening. Call back when you've garnered some support."

    --
    "Tongue tied and twisted, just an Earth bound misfit ..." -- Pink Floyd.
  10. Re:If only I could cry nonsense by raddan · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Does anyone here know if adoption of ISO standards have any insurance/liability implications? In my experience, those are the only two words that management actually listen to. E.g., Using UL-approved devices limit your liability to some extent, because people trust their judgment. Bad ISO standards undermine that trust, but if there are no repercussions for using bad standards, then I do not see how their relevance would diminish.