Archive for April, 2008

Micro$oft Reportedly Rolls the ISO on a Standard for Data Formats

by T. Colin Dodd

So far as I can tell, this is not an April Fools’ day joke.

James Love: OOXML, Microsoft Reportedly Rolls the ISO on a Standard for Data Formats - Business on The Huffington Post

According to reports (1,2, 3) from the European and technical press, Microsoft has succeeded in reversing an earlier vote rejecting a proposed standard on data formats called OOXML. The voting is by the International Organization for Standards, known as the ISO.

This is not just a technical issue. Microsoft uses its effective control over the OOXML standard to continue its monopolistic dominance of software applications for word processing, spreadsheets and presentation graphics. Our statement on the ISO/OOXML vote is here.

James Love is the Director of Knowledge Ecology International, a non-government organization with offices in Washington, DC, London and Geneva.

Filed under Truth on April 1st, 2008 | 1 comment »