Comments on: Critics urge rejection of Microsoft 'open' format

International Organization for Standardization is balloting members on "worst-case scenario" of the "classic vendor lock-in."

[Sumatra-Bosch]

ALL YOUR DOCMENT ARE BELONG TO US

Hahahahahahahahaha!

[richardishere]

MSPPD

MicroSoft Possessive Personality Disorder; MSNBC?

[Gayle Edwards]

One thing we need to remember (partial repost)...

I think we seriously need to remember -WHY- Microsoft began this whole "MS Open-XML standard" process in the first place.

---Hadnt, much of the world-market prosecuted Microsoft for numerous "Anti-trust" issues..?

---Werent large numbers of, said, prosecutors pointing-out that Microsoft was basically, simply, refusing to "compete fairly", even after numerous judgments, and court-orders, against the company..?

---Hasnt Microsoft, repeatedly, been found guilty of using its, so-called, "standards" to "...erect barriers to competition", "intentionally-dilute", or otherwise... -undermine-, competing-products..?

---Werent Microsofts "proprietary standards" considered, by most experts, to be a clear and present danger to "interoperability", low-cost, reliable, access to documents... and therefore, a serious impediment to reasonable-choice and control..?

---And, werent large numbers of governments, and agencies, officially declaring their intentions to abandon such "proprietary" (Microsoft) formats..?

And, wasnt that EXACTLY when Microsoft began dumping tons of cash into railroading this, massive, poorly laid-out, allegedly "open", competing, "standard", through... just when Microsoft desperately needed a bit of positive PR and some serious FUD to defuse the situation..?

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In my opinion, this entire "Microsoft open document standard" circus has been one big sham from the beginning. It started with Microsofts use of "ECMA" (which many have accused of becoming little more than an industry "rubber stamp", for the agendas of some of the biggest, industry, players... namely, Microsoft)... to fast-track exactly this type of dubious proprietary-standard, through the "public-standards" process.

It has even just come out that Microsoft has, apparently, actually already been caught, virtually, "stuffing the ballot boxes"... of the "ISO" (both, literally, and figuratively). This is hardly a surprise given Microsofts long track-record of "FUD", media-manipulation, propaganda-campaigns, and repeated, intentional, public-misrepresentations and obfuscations.

Frankly, this "open standard", ...is neither. In fact, it is, in essence, a ridiculously overly-complex, -wrapper- for several different "proprietary" Microsoft-technologies. And, the simple fact is that any company that actually attempts to use it ["MS-OpenXML"], for "interoperability", will actually have to pay Microsoft for the privilege. Or, they will just have to pray that Microsoft isnt sitting on any "Intellectual Property" time-bombs within the "standard" (...which, by the way, many experts feel, are, in fact, just sitting there... waiting to catch the unwary).

Furthermore (based upon Microsofts continually-demonstrated behavior in such matters)... if Microsoft has any "competing products" (or even just thinks that they might develop such a product in the future)... then those entities that try to "license" these "proprietary Microsoft-technologies", will most-probably only, very-slowly, receive overpriced, incomplete, incomprehensible, sometimes-contradictory, or just plain seriously-inaccurate, "documentation" that will, in no way, actually allow proper, or effective, implementation. Sound familiar..? Just ask the numerous companies, "partners", and courts, that have tried to deal with Microsoft, in such matters, over the last few decades.

Furthermore, due to the ludicrously artificially-complicated nature of Microsofts "standard"... and Microsofts historical-propensity for regularly altering "bundled" OS-components (including the Microsoft-bundled "middleware" that depends on such "integrated" elements)... and, "standards"... it becomes painfully-obvious why there is so much opposition to this latest ploy.

Put simply, Microsofts "game-plan", has never wavered. Even now that their decades of abuses have finally, seriously, begun to catch-up with them, they continue the same-old tactics.

However, I do expect that both Microsoft (and its obvious-shills), are, already fully prepared to respond whether the "ISO" accepts, or rejects, Microsofts "document standard". If it is accepted, "MS" (and its usual cadre of defenders) will trumpet it as -proof- that Microsoft has changed its ways, and that its products are the best-bet for critical, future, "interoperability" capabilities (...even though that is so obviously untrue). If the "standard" is rejected, it will be claimed to be further evidence of a, massive, "anti-Microsoft" ("Microsoft-Bashing"), or even an "Anti-American", conspiracy (...which of course, these days, is Microsofts standard PR-SPIN every time they are, actually, held accountable for their own unethical, or illegal, actions).

Either way... its completely-obvious, to me, that Microsoft has NOT really changed, one bit. And, I hope that the bulk of the "ISO", sees that,

...before it too late.

[Commander_Spock]

Can "Leopards" Change Their Spots?

You have said; "Furthermore, due to the ludicrously artificially-complicated nature of Microsoft's "standard"... and Microsoft's historical-propensity for regularly altering "bundled" OS-components (including the Microsoft-bundled "middleware" that depends on such "integrated" elements)... and, "standards"... it becomes painfully-obvious why there is so much opposition to this latest ploy.

Put simply, Microsoft's "game-plan", has never wavered. Even now that their decades of abuses have finally, seriously, begun to catch-up with them, they continue the same-old tactics."; Assuming that this should have been preceded by Code-Based Lotus SmartSuite and Code-Based OS/2 ("bundled" OS-components) then the world should ask itself this question - Can "Leopards" Change Their Spots? as per the subject line!

As to why the Microsoft Corporation and its supporters were late for the "standards" parties while they were being held is anyone's guess. Perhaps, another girlfriend was involved and the OASIS Kids won the heart of the other girlfriend (ODF). "Breaking-up" must certainly be such an hard thing to do now that the "Gala Ball" is about to end!

[Sumatra-Bosch]

Great Post: More on Stuffing the ISO Ballot Boxes, Please!

Fascinating insight - where has this story appeared?

It has even just come out that Microsoft has, apparently, actually already been caught, virtually, "stuffing the ballot boxes"... of the "ISO" (both, literally, and figuratively). This is hardly a surprise given Microsofts long track-record of "FUD", media-manipulation, propaganda-campaigns, and repeated, intentional, public-misrepresentations and obfuscations.